The Disowned Prince of Dalton
by cre8ive.ovadose
Summary: Sebastian is the Prince's best friend and secret love but when he is disowned, he must find a new way to stay by his side. But their fairy-tale world is not as simple as they believe it to be and when an evil king starts threatening the kingdom, Sebastian must fight to save his freedom to love. Nickbastian. AU. Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Disowned Prince of Dalton

Rating: M (for further chapters)

Characters: Sebastian Smythe, Nick Warbler, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Hunter Clarington (the 3rd)

Summary: Sebastian is the Prince's best friend and secret love but when he is disowned, he must find a new way to stay by his side. But their fairy-tale world is not as simple as they believe it to be and when an evil king starts threatening the kingdom, Sebastian must fight to save his freedom to love. Nickbastian. AU. Warnings inside.

Warnings: ALL FOR LATER CHAPTERS – Violence, swearing, medical squick (medieval style), sexual references, character death. (I'll add to this if I need to but I'll just have warnings tailored to each chapter as I need them).

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

A/N: The title is a misnomer because no princes of Dalton are disowned but as the son of a Lord, Sebastian has no formal title. Just leave me to my terrible titling :p

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**CHAPTER 1:**

Sebastian couldn't believe it had happened. His father had _actually_ disowned him. He didn't even understand why – whenever he had asked for clarification, Lord Smythe had simply yelled at him to "Shut up and get out". There was a strange, dull ache in his chest as he wandered the streets of Dalton. He had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to.

Sebastian Smythe was homeless.

He managed to while away a few hours of the morning in the tavern but when he realised the few coins he had in his pocket were all he had, Sebastian slipped out without paying for the lunch he'd eaten. Drifting through the city was not as easy as it usually was when you didn't have a home to go back to when you got bored. Sebastian was quickly discovering that his future was unknowingly bleak.

When he found himself curled up in an alcove between two buildings, Sebastian found himself replaying the morning's argument with his father in his mind.

"_You need to get out, Sebastian. You can no longer be a part of this family," Lord Marcus Smythe had said, calm at first as he stared into the empty fireplace._

"_W-Why? What have I done?" Sebastian had asked, dumbfounded by his father's words._

"_You have been _indiscreet _about your … shall we say, tendencies?"_

"_My tendencies?" Sebastian's innermost anger had been unleashed at the poor choice of words. "What? You're disowning me because I'm gay? Because I'd rather have a meaningful relationship with a man than a flimsy marriage to a girl you picked out for me?"_

"_You can bed whoever you want but not on my time! And not in my name! I can't walk past the inn anymore without the innkeeper's wife snickering at me! It does nothing for my political standing, Sebastian!"_

_Sebastian had snickered himself at the idea that the innkeeper remembered that Sebastian had bought a room with some stranger four months ago with his father's money. But his amusement had not pleased Marcus._

"_I would not be laughing if I were you boy," Marcus had seethed, turning a look of sheer hatred on his son. "You have one hour to take what you need and to get out of my house."_

"_And if I refuse?"_

"_Then I will call the guards and have you forcefully removed and imprisoned."_

"_On what grounds?!"_

"_Insubordination!" Marcus had shouted, advancing on his son. "You're an arrogant little leech with no respect for his social standing! If you want to act like a common whore then that's what you can go and do! But don't think you're welcome in this house anymore!"_

Sebastian shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't bear to think about the other horrible things his father had said to him. No, not his father. Not anymore. Sebastian sighed and looked up to the sky which had grown grey and overcast. He groaned softly as he got to his feet and continued wandering through the streets.

The rest of his afternoon was grim. It had started to rain and Sebastian found himself looking like a drowned rat which was only worsened when a carriage rushed by, splattering him with mud. He hadn't been able to wash much of it off and had no idea where to spend the night. But when he glanced up towards King Benjamin's castle, Sebastian knew exactly who he could ask for help.

Sebastian waited until darkness began creeping over the city before he made his way up to the castle. He avoided the guards patrolling the perimeter, knowing they would only ask uncomfortable questions. While befriending the Prince might be his saving grace tonight, overall it would only complicate things later on when people started noticing his absence from high society.

Sebastian had met Prince Nicholas – who preferred to be called Nick – in school. In all honesty, Sebastian was the one responsible for corrupting Nick and showing him the "fun" side of the upper class but their friendship was strong. The undeniable sexual tension between them was a hindrance, but only when Sebastian needed what Nick was too shy and bashful to give. Hence his so-called "indiscretions".

Sebastian had snuck around to the back of the castle and stood under the tower, peering up at the window. Light shined inside the room and Sebastian couldn't help but imagine Nick curled up in bed reading or drawing or just simply sleeping. He smiled at the thought before he stepped back a few paces so that Nick would be able to see him when he came out.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your golden hair!" Sebastian called up to Nick's window. He laughed as he shifted his weight, smirking at the cliché of Nick's chambers being in the tallest room of the tallest tower of the castle.

Nick opened the window and leaned out; looking down at Sebastian with what the man decided was fondness. "Why don't you just walk up the stairs you silly boy?" Nick retorted, chuckling.

Sebastian tugged at the muddied shirt he was wearing. "Looking like this? They'd never let me pass!"

He heard Nick's soft laugh before a string of sheets was tossed down to him. Sebastian had snuck into Nick's rooms before and the string of sheets was a permanent feature of Nick's room now. But the journey up the tower was still long and exhausting. When Sebastian clambered into the room, he groaned as his muscles relaxed, the strain of holding all of his weight gone again.

"What's happened to you, Seb?" Nick asked as he closed the window behind his friend, gathering the sheets and tucking them back under his bed. "You look an absolute mess."

"I feel an absolute mess," Sebastian replied with a forced chuckle. "Nothing like being kicked out of home."

"What? Your parents made you leave? Or did you leave? Because if you did then you're stupider than I give you credit for-"

"Father dearest ordered me away this morning," Sebastian interjected, looking to Nick with an expression of pure resignation. He shrugged, "No money, no home, no food, just me."

"Oh Sebastian…" Nick reached out to hug him but Sebastian stepped away, looking down at his messy clothes, a subtle hint at the help he was too proud to ask for. "I'll find you some clean clothes… Are you hungry?"

"A little bit," Sebastian answered, feeling small and pathetic.

"Alright, I'll call for someone to bring up some food." Nick set to work, finding clean – warm – clothes for Sebastian to change into and calling for one of the servants to bring up whatever was left over from dinner. Nick also helped Sebastian scrub the mud out of his hair and off of his face.

"You don't have to do all this," Sebastian murmured, even though he knew the words were futile.

"In my experience, friends don't come and climb in your window in the middle of the night for no reason," Nick looked into Sebastian's soft green eyes. "I'm happy to help, Seb. You're my best friend."

Sebastian reached forward and curled his hand around the curve of Nick's neck, leaning in and kissing the prince softly. Nick's return was shy and gentle but Sebastian didn't care about the kiss, he just needed to know that there was still someone there who would look after him.

Neither pulled away until there was a soft knock on the door. Nick stroked a hand through Sebastian's brown hair as he pulled away, quickly answering the door. He returned with a large silver platter piled with food. Nick set it down on a table before he flitted over to a cupboard from which he pulled two goblets and a bottle of spiced wine.

Sebastian had moved to sit at the table, carefully popping single grapes into his mouth as he watched Nick pour the wine.

"So what are you going to do, 'Bas?"

"I don't know… I can't go home, Father won't speak to me and Mother is too spineless to defend me. I guess I'll just see if I can find work or something."

"Where are you going to stay?" Nick asked quietly, sipping at the wine in hopes it would quench his concern for Sebastian. He had never seen the other man so subdued.

"I'll find somewhere," Sebastian answered with a half-hearted smile. "Sleeping rough was always something I wanted to try."

"Don't say that," Nick murmured as he reached for Sebastian's hand. "You can stay with me tonight. If you want to leave in the morning you can but you don't have to let your father do this to you."

Sebastian's shook his head and freed his hand as he stood. "No, no I do have to let him. Because if I let him win, he might take me back one day."

"But how far away is "one day"?" Nick asked as he watched Sebastian take the string of sheets out from under his bed and secure it so he could climb back down. "You could get sick or hurt, 'Bas… I don't want to see that happen."

Sebastian opened the window and tossed out the makeshift rope before he looked back to Nick with a wry smile. "Then don't watch – no one else seems to be interested in watching anymore."

Nick rushed forward to stop Sebastian but he was already out the window and shimmying down from the tower window. Nick sighed softly as he watched Sebastian disappear into the night, wondering idly why his Prince Charming was running away. This wasn't the way fairy tales were meant to work.

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**A/N: So what do you think? Please be honest because I have no idea what to think of this idea other than Nick as a Prince is somehow a dream come true for me hahaha But I hope you're enjoying it and thank you very much for reading :) –Frankie xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: PG

Characters: Blaine, Sebastian, Nick

Warnings: Sickness

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 2:**

Blaine Anderson was a knight and he had just returned from a two week patrol. His body ached, yearning for rest and a warm bath, and he was considering calling on some of his school friends to get together and have some fun. He idly wondered where he'd find Sebastian Smythe at this time of night.

It was late and as Blaine walked through the streets of Dalton, he couldn't help but keep a hand on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't that he didn't trust the people who were still out at such a late hour, Blaine liked to think that he was understanding of peoples different circumstances but he was tired and knew that the gesture would ward off all but the most determined of beggars and muggers.

He was taking a shortcut through the slums simply so he would get home sooner but he found himself far more thankful for his decision than he ever thought he could be.

Curled up between a stack of crates and an empty barrel that reeked of rotten fish was Sebastian Smythe. Or rather, something that _looked_ like Sebastian Smythe.

Blaine swallowed before he bobbed down in front of the boy, reaching out and gently brushing his fingers over the boy's knee. The boy's head twitched up and a series of coughing wracked his thin frame. When the coughing ceased, he turned his watery green eyes back to Blaine and they lit up ever-so-slightly in recognition.

"Sebastian? 'Bas, what are you doing out here?" Blaine asked as he shuffled closer. He held a hand over Sebastian's forehead, the boy's skin hot with a fever.

"Father told me not to come back… So I didn't," Sebastian answered before he shivered violently, whimpering.

"Have you seen the Prince?" Blaine asked but Sebastian had closed his eyes and was rocking back and forth slightly. "Sebastian, when was the last time you talked to someone? When was the last time one of the others saw you?"

"N-Nick… Nick knows… Nick helped me," Sebastian stammered. He rested his head against the crates, watching Blaine with half-closed eyes.

"Sebastian, this is really important and I need you to answer me," Blaine said. "When was the last time you saw Nick? How many days has it been since you saw him?"

"A-A week," Sebastian managed to shrug one shoulder and shake his head.

"I would kill that boy if it weren't treason," Blaine growled as he pulled Sebastian to his feet. He draped one of the boy's arms around his neck and began making his way up to the castle.

There was a separate entrance to Nick's tower and Blaine headed straight for it, struggling with Sebastian's weight on top of his own. The boy was nearly delirious and Blaine worried that he would start vomiting but Sebastian held onto him with a surprisingly strong grip. The guards at the base of the tower however, decided they needed to be a hindrance.

"Who goes there?"

"Sir Blaine Anderson of the Dalton Knights and Sebastian Smythe. He's asked me to take him to Prince Nicholas, I'm not sure why but I am _determined_ to honour his wishes."

The guards nodded tersely and stepped aside and Blaine began the painstaking journey up the stairs. Sebastian's feet dragged and they almost fell down the stairs a few times but Blaine managed to pull him up and when he rapped on Nick's door, he felt as if he'd never been gladder to see another human being. Nick opened the door and rushed forward at the sight of Sebastian, pulling the boy up and into his room, Blaine following.

"What happened? Where did you find him? When did you get back?"

"I found him on my way home – nearly unconscious in the slums. He needs a doctor and food and warmth."

Nick pulled a blanket up over Sebastian before he headed towards the door. "Alright, I'll go and get my father's physician."

Blaine nodded as Nick rushed out of the room. He undid the belt that held his sword and took off his cape before he went into the adjoining bathroom and filled a bowl with warm water. Blaine rolled up his sleeves and pulled some washcloths out of the linen cupboard before he returned to Sebastian's side. He checked the boy's temperature again; frowning at how warm his friend was before Sebastian seemed to come to only to start coughing again.

Blaine pulled Sebastian into a sitting position, holding him upright as he coughed. The fit lasted for a long time, not ceasing until the doctor arrived, Nick in tow. The doctor ran to Sebastian's side, carefully checking his temperature and pulse before he helped Blaine lie the boy down again.

"I need a cloth wet with cold water, we need to bring his temperature down. He needs fluids, preferably water. And have the kitchen send up some citrus fruits and soup. Make sure the citrus fruits are _whole_; they'll lose their nutritional value otherwise. Now what's his name? What's he sick with?"

"His name's Sebastian, I don't know what's wrong with him. He said he's been living on the streets, I think for a week. But he can't get sick so quickly can he?" Blaine asked as Nick rushed about trying to do everything for the doctor.

"It depends on what he's sick with," the doctor answered before he pulled a strange metal thing from around his neck. Two parts of it were unceremoniously shoved in his ears while a metal disc attached to a cord was pressed to Sebastian's chest, over his heart. The doctor seemed to be listening for something, moving the disc around before he pulled the things from his ears and turned back to Blaine with a grim expression.

"What is it? Is he going to be alright?"

"I fear he may have an infection in his chest. He needs medicine, medicine that he cannot get while he is living on the streets," the doctor looked back to Sebastian who seemed to have fallen asleep again. "He needs somewhere safe to stay for a week at least. And then he needs help to find secure work and accommodation. The streets are no place for such a young man."

"I understand. He may be able to stay with me for a while but I'm a knight and I don't know if I will be called for duty again before he is well," Blaine answered. He wished he could take Sebastian in but it wasn't fair to the boy if he had to be alone while he recovered. And part of Blaine didn't trust Sebastian – he had seen too much of the boy's wild side at school.

"I will talk to the King, he may have spare rooms for the boy," the doctor's brow furrowed then as he looked back to Sebastian's pale face. "I will go and try to make arrangements."

"What do we need to do in the meantime?" Blaine asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Keep the cold cloth on his head; it will help him break the fever. When he wakes, feed him the soup and try to get him to eat some of the fruit. I am but a call away if he gets any worse. I will bring the medicine as soon as he has secure accommodations."

Blaine nodded as he showed the doctor to the door. Nick was coming up the stairs as the doctor descended them and Blaine stepped aside as Nick carried inside a platter of the requested foods.

"Do we need to give him anything to eat yet?" Nick asked as Blaine crossed to the adjoining bathroom again.

"Not unless he's awake," Blaine called as he wet a cloth. He wrung it out over the sink before taking it back to Sebastian and carefully swiped the cloth over Sebastian's sweaty brow, holding it to his flushed cheek as he turned back to Nick. "Did you know his father had disowned him? Did you know he was living on the streets?" He already knew the answer but Nick needed to know that he had done wrong.

"I-I did but – he said he didn't want my help," Nick stammered, still shocked by the state of his friend and the flurry of activity.

"And you believed him?" Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"H-He came to my room one night, climbed up the tower. He was fine then!"

"How long ago was that?"

"A-About a week…"

Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and he shook his head slowly. "The boy I _know_ you care about more than anything is disowned and then disappears and you don't even question it?"

"I didn't know what to do, Blaine! How do you deal with it when your best friend tells you he's homeless?!"

"You take care of him," Blaine deadpanned, looking Nick directly in the eye. Blaine got to his feet and handed the prince the cloth. Nick swallowed before he sat on the edge of the bed and gently wiped away the fresh sheen of sweat covering Sebastian's face.

"When you're ready, wet the cloth again and leave it over his forehead. If he wakes, give him some of the soup the kitchen staff brought up and make sure he drinks some water," Blaine pulled his cloak around him as he headed for the door. "Give him the fruit as well but don't cut it until he wants it. I need to go and get some sleep but I'll come back in the morning. If he gets worse during the night, call the doctor back."

Nick nodded, not taking his eyes off Sebastian. "I will. Thank you Blaine."

"It's no problem, your highness," Blaine said before he headed downstairs and back out into the night.

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**A/N: And my first post of 2013 :p Sebastian's illness won't last for very long but it serves a purpose :) I hope you're enjoying this so far and don't worry about where Kurt is, he's on his way (though still far away). Thank you for reading and I hope you have a safe new year's eve/new year's day –Frankie xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

Rating: PG

Characters: Nick, Sebastian, Blaine

Warnings:

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 3:**

Nick barely moved from Sebastian's side all night. When he woke the first time, Nick helped him eat the soup and half of an orange before he descended back into a fit of hacking coughs. Sebastian was exhausted from the coughing and snuggled into Nick's side as he dozed, the prince lying awake next to him, still wiping sweat from his forehead and soaking the cloth in the bowl of now-cold water that Blaine had left by the bed.

The fever broke in the small hours of the morning and Sebastian woke again at dawn. Nick watched sadly as he coughed, tears streaming down Sebastian's face, though the prince couldn't tell what caused them. When Sebastian fell back against the pillows, he was almost gasping for breath as Nick wiped away the tears that clung to his skin.

"It's alright, Sebastian, we'll make it better," Nick murmured. He didn't know who "we" consisted of but he was sure the doctor would come back with medicine eventually and that Blaine would return after he was well rested.

"N-Nick? What happened?" Sebastian breathed as he glanced around the room, still half asleep. "I don't remember coming back here…"

"Blaine found you in the streets, he brought you here," Nick explained as he brushed Sebastian's hair back from his forehead. "Oh why did you stay out there all alone, 'Bas? You were sick; I would have helped you…"

Sebastian reached up and held Nick's hand against his face. "Didn't want to worry you… I can do this…"

Nick shook his head sadly before leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to Sebastian's lips. "You don't have to be a martyr, Sebastian. You need to be safe and healthy."

"I missed you," Sebastian breathed as he moved his hand to rest it against Nick's cheek.

"I missed you too," Nick whispered before jumping as his bedroom door burst open. Guards flooded the room, followed by King Benjamin and the doctor that had tended to Sebastian earlier. Sebastian pressed himself closer to Nick, watching their new company with fear as the Prince held him tightly. Sebastian's breathing quickened to haggard gasps and he was coughing again, crying and groaning between the jerks and shakes of his frame.

"Who is he, Nicholas?! Why is he in your room? We do not harbor the sick and homeless in our private quarters!" King Benjamin yelled as Nick cradled the boy.

"It's Sebastian, Sebastian Smythe," Nick answered. "Sir Blaine brought him to me last night. He was sick in the streets. Blaine said that Sebastian had fought with his father and his father had sent him away. It's happened before, usually Sebastian goes home the next day but he was so sick, his fever was so high…"

King Benjamin pursed his lips, watching his son apprehensively. "Why did you not take him to the hospital? Why drag him up the tower?"

"You would have to ask Sir Blaine that question, Father. But now tell me, why are you here with half of the Royal Guard? Sebastian needs to rest."

"I cannot permit Master Smythe to stay here, Nicholas. It is inappropriate and the boy needs to go home to his family."

"So what? You're going to have him forcibly removed?! He's sick, Father! He needs medicine," Nick pulled away from Sebastian and pointed a finger at the doctor. "Medicine that _you_ were supposed to be bringing him!"

"Nicholas, you are out of line!" Benjamin growled.

Nick turned a glare on his father. "You are meant to help the unfortunate and care for you subjects, Father! Start now! Start by letting me help my friend, by getting him the medicine he needs and helping him find somewhere to stay so that this doesn't happen again!"

The room fell silent, footsteps echoing from the stairwell before Blaine appeared in the doorway, surprised to find so many crammed into Nick's tower.

"Am I interrupting something?" Blaine asked as he glanced around.

"Sir Blaine, just the man we needed to speak with," King Benjamin said without turning his gaze from Nick. "Why did you bring Master Smythe to my son's quarters last night?"

Blaine looked dumbfounded and when King Benjamin heard no response, he finally turned to the knight. Nick took the opportunity to shoot a pleading glance at Blaine who quickly caught on.

"Oh, um, I found him in the street and Sebastian was delirious with a fever. I wasn't sure what he wanted in all honesty but he said Nick's name. I thought he asked me to bring him here and I figured that some shelter was better than none. And we were closer to the castle than the hospital at that point anyway. I didn't want to make him worse by carrying him further than I needed to."

King Benjamin turned then to the doctor. "And why did you not request the boy was taken to the hospital when you were called up here?"

"T-The boy was unconscious, sir! It would have been no mean feat to get him back down the tower in such a state," the doctor answered quickly, obviously intimidated by his monarch.

King Benjamin nodded and clasped his hands behind his back, looking to Nick with a steady gaze. "My point still stands. It is not appropriate for you to have someone ill sleeping in your bed, Nicholas. We must find Master Smythe alternative accommodation as soon as possible."

"Sir, might I make an offer?" Blaine chirped up, stepping forward.

"Yes, Sir Blaine?"

"Prince Nicholas and I spoke about Sebastian's accommodation needs last night briefly. It was suggested that Sebastian stay with me until he can support himself adequately," Blaine glanced between Nick and the king. "Would that be an acceptable alternative?"

"I think we had best ask Sebastian," Nick said before King Benjamin could make the decision. Nick knew that whatever his father said next would be final and it wouldn't let a decision be made without consulting Sebastian. Nick had failed his friend so many times already; he wasn't going to add to any further misfortune.

Sebastian was still peering around the room with wide eyes but he swallowed and looked up at Nick. "I-I can stay with Blaine… That's alright…" Nick could see the fear, practically _feel_ it rolling off the boy but he couldn't comfort him how he wanted to. Not with his father so near.

"Then we shall arrange for you to be helped to Sir Blaine's home as soon as possible," King Benjamin murmured, seeing that he was as close to winning the debate as he would get. "And Doctor, you will see that Sebastian receives the appropriate medicine."

"Yes sir," the doctor said before he, the king and the guards filed out of the room.

Blaine turned his own expression of fear on his friends then, rushing forward to check Sebastian's temperature as Nick sunk back down to the mattress.

"What the hell happened? Half the Royal Guard was in here! I wouldn't have thought this room could hold so many people!"

"Father just barged in here this morning, demanding that Sebastian leave," Nick answered quietly as he stroked Sebastian's hair. The boy's head had fallen against the Prince's shoulder and in that moment, Blaine could have sworn they were the epitome of love. Albeit unproclaimed.

"At least the fever broke," Blaine said optimistically.

"Blaine you have to help him. We have to find a way for him to look after himself."

"I know, and we will. I'll take him home and as soon as he's well enough we'll start trying to find him work."

""Him" can hear you," Sebastian murmured before coughing weakly.

Nick stroked his hair once more before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to the brown locks. "Everything will be alright, 'Bas."

"We'll make sure it is," Blaine added, squeezing Sebastian's knee through the blankets.

Nick watched in silence then as Sebastian fell into a light sleep. All he could think about was how much he wanted to help the boy in his arms and how frustrated he was that his title prevented him from doing more.

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**A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) What kind of work are Blaine and Nick gonna find our darling Seb? Things will start looking up for him next chapter which I will hopefully have up tomorrow :) (well, later today for me, it's 2:30am here). Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Blaine

Warnings: Mild violence, cliff-hanger

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 4:**

Sebastian was taken to Blaine's later that day, the doctor finally providing the medicine the boy needed before Sebastian was left to recover. With the aid of the medicine, the coughing fits grew fewer and less severe quickly but the boy slept more than anything else.

A week passed before Sebastian felt well enough to start looking for work. Blaine had come home from guard duty to find Sebastian sitting at the table scribbling a list onto a piece of parchment.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked as he sat down across from his new housemate.

"Trying to think of jobs that I could do," Sebastian answered before he pushed the parchment across to Blaine. "I have no idea what I would actually be any good at but those are things I thought of that I might be able to get work with."

Blaine perused the list of skills with surprise. Sebastian had always been such a free spirit without much sense for responsibility. But he was trying to find something that would help him provide for himself.

"It's a stupid list isn't it? Am I really one of those stupid Lord's sons who depend on their father for money?" Sebastian asked, panicking.

"No, no, it's good," Blaine said quickly as he jerked his gaze between the list and Sebastian. "You've written that you can fight with a sword though – I didn't know you could do that. How good are you?"

"I dunno, I learnt when we were at school," Sebastian shrugged. "What could I do with that though? I thought I could be a knight but if my father has actually disowned me then I can't be."

Blaine narrowed his eyes questioningly and leaned forward slightly. "Has your father actually disowned you though? Has he disinherited you or publically claimed that you're no longer a Smythe?"

"Well, no but I'm sure he's going to. He was so angry at me, Blaine…"

Blaine shook his head. "No, we're going to get you into the Dalton Knights. There is another trial next week for new applicants and if you promise to work hard, I can make you good enough to get in."

"What will I have to do though?"

"Basic swordplay, the code of chivalry and battle strategy. I still have the materials they gave me when I was studying for it, you can use them to prepare while I'm on duty and when I come home, I can help you with the swordplay."

"Would you really do that?" Sebastian asked as he watched Blaine get to his feet and approach his single shelf of books.

"If I don't, you'll end up on the streets," Blaine answered as he dragged a finger along the spines of books. "Finding you in the street last week was … terrifying."

"I know, I'm sorry," Sebastian murmured as he looked at the table top sadly.

"Can I ask you something, Sebastian?" Blaine asked as he pulled a book from the shelf.

"Of course."

Blaine sat down again, looking his friend in the eye. "What exactly is going on between you and Prince Nicholas?"

Sebastian swallowed harshly and sunk back into the chair. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do," Blaine reached across the table and took Sebastian's hand in his own. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Seb. Talking about it might help…"

Sebastian bit his lower lip. "I really like Nick, I feel safe and happy with him but… You know what the King is like. He would never let us be together. We would be the disowned princes of Dalton."

"Maybe you two could change that though, you could be a positive force in this country. You know I have the same issues – being a knight makes it even harder – but you and Nick as a son of a lord and a prince could really make a difference."

"How though?"

Blaine grinned broadly and pushed the book over the table to Sebastian. "We'll get you into the Dalton Knights first, and then we'll worry about the rest of it."

Sebastian laughed and took the book. He could do this. He would become a knight and then find a way to show Nick how much he meant to him. They could be together.

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Sebastian had never been so exhausted in his life but he couldn't stop now. It was the day of the trials and he had woken early for one last training session with Blaine. He had won each round and sat on the grass in the warm sun. The armour Blaine had bought for him – which he had promise to pay back – was heavy but Sebastian knew he was already getting stronger.

Blaine fell back onto the grass beside him with an ungraceful _thud_. "Well, you are definitely going to give the other candidates a run for their money," Blaine said as they watched the other hopefuls gather on the edges of the training fields.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this – that _I'm_ actually doing this," Sebastian looked to Blaine with a grateful smile. "Thank you for everything you've done, Blaine."

"It's no problem," Blaine replied with a smile of his own. "Just remember, you've got to act as if your father is still talking to you and that it was his suggestion you decided to come here today. There is no one out here who knows any different aside from you and me."

Sebastian nodded shakily before the trumpets sounded. "That's my cue," he said as he got to his feet.

"You're going to be absolutely fine. Just remember to breathe and that your father still loves you," Blaine replied as he stood.

Sebastian watched his friend with a hurt look in his eyes but they didn't say anything. There was no point in fighting it now. He was so close to becoming a knight he could taste it in the air. Blaine clapped him on the back before disappearing from his side and Sebastian made his way to where the other candidates were lining up for the first test.

The candidates' knowledge of the code of chivalry was examined first. Sebastian felt he did well despite his hesitation on the last question about emergencies in the city. And the battle strategy test was easier than breathing. But when Sebastian was paired up for the swordplay test, he felt as if his stomach dropped six feet under.

His opponent was taller than him – which he hadn't thought would be a problem standing at six feet and two inches – and bulked up with muscle. There was a wait before Sebastian would be up to fight and all he wanted was to find Blaine and tell him that he was pulling out. Sebastian searched for an escape route but he was boxed in by spectators and officials. There was no running now away.

When the time came for Sebastian and his hulking opponent to fight, Sebastian strode forward with an air of feigned confidence. He had spent so much time trying to charm people in school Sebastian had thought he was a master at it but it didn't seem to faze his opponent.

Another knight stood off to the side, glancing between them sternly. "You have five minutes. If one of you is badly injured, the fight is over. If one of you taps out, the fight is over. And if both of you last the five minutes, you will both be considered for knighthood."

A bell was rung then and the fight began, the nameless knight stepping away as Sebastian drew his sword and took a defensive stance. His opponent mirrored him and they circled each other before Sebastian dove in for a sharp jab. The clang of metal rang out with a block and Sebastian span around and watched as his sword collided with his opponent's armoured shoulder. A wave of cheers washed over the crowd but Sebastian's small victory was soon forgotten when his opponent lunged forward.

Sebastian dodged as best he could but the screech of a blade sliding across his armour pierced through his head. As his ears rung, he lost his balance long enough to lose flow and the flat of his opponent's blade collided with the back of his head. Sebastian fell, his vision flickering in and out. When he could make out the blades of grass again, he struggled to his feet and tried to ignore the streak of something hot running down his neck. Tightening the grip on his sword, Sebastian swung it around and swiped it across his opponent's face. The man fell back, yelling in pain and as Sebastian rushed forward to land another blow, the bell rang out across the field again.

Sebastian was breathing heavily as he stumbled away, nodding his recognition to his opponent who returned the gesture from where he had fallen to the ground. Medics were talking to Sebastian but he couldn't focus on their words. The only coherent thought he could form was running through his mind and toppling from his tongue.

"Did I get in?"


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick, Quinn

Warnings: Talk of possible homophobia

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 5:**

Nick couldn't understand why they had to have a ball or a feast or even a _festival_ after every knighthood ceremony. He was sure the men receiving the honours were capable of finding entertainment and alcohol by themselves. But the Prince had learned long ago that there was no use in trying to fight his father on this. After all, it was also a wonderful opportunity for King Benjamin to find Nick a wife.

Nick buttoned his jacket, sighing as he turned to face his mirror. He looked the part of the noble prince with his thin silver crown resting over his brow. Part of him despised it but deep down, Nick had always been thankful for the family and privileges he had been born into. He would never have survived out on the streets and he didn't understand how Sebastian had managed that week.

As Nick made his way down the stairs of his tower, he wondered what Sebastian had been doing. He wondered if he would see the boy tonight. Surely Blaine would bring him along. Nick made a mental note to save some time to talk to Sebastian – he hadn't seen him since the morning he had gone to Blaine's.

The ball was being held outside in the courtyard this time and as Nick opened the door at the base of his tower, he was welcomed by the sound of music. The courtyard was filled with spinning couples, people standing off to the side with champagne flutes in hand as they socialised. The sight made Nick's stomach turn but he slowly made his way around the edge of the crowd to where his parents were sitting upon their thrones.

Nick bowed dutifully, reaching up to hold his crown steady as he straightened. "Your highnesses."

King Benjamin nodded in recognition. "Good evening, Nicholas. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Father. Is there anything I need to do before I go and find my friends?" Nick asked. It had always been the protocol – duty before pleasure. Nick silently hoped that one day those two lines would blend and he would be free to mingle with whom he wished at these events.

"There is one young lady I wanted you to dance with," King Benjamin stood and scanned through the crowds before pointing out a blonde girl in a sky blue dress. "Lady Quinn, she is visiting from one of the other kingdoms and she is a delight."

Nick nodded once before he made a beeline for the girl who was standing at the edge of the designated dance floor. The sooner he did it, the sooner it would be over.

Nick bowed to the Lady Quinn. "Milady, might I have this dance?"

"You may," she answered with a smile as her brown eyes lit up. Nick took her hand and led her onto the dance floor where they joined in the dance that was already half over.

"So you're the magnificent Prince Nicholas?"

"Please, call me Nick."

"Well Nick, tell me about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?"

Nick had formulated a speech for these encounters that was mostly made up of lies. One day he would tell the truth – when he met the perfect person. But he told Lady Quinn his lies, about how he spent his days studying the history of Dalton and his nights reading the classics. Sometimes he would go riding in the woods with friends from school or fish in the castle's lake.

Quinn went on to ramble about how she was heavily involved in the ballet in her home kingdom but Nick's attention had been pulled elsewhere. Through the crowd moved a tall man with a swirling navy cloak and a thick strip of white cloth wound around his head. As Nick moved through the motions of the dance, he whipped his head around to try and find the stranger but whoever it was was quick on his feet.

The dance ended and Nick turned a forced smile to Quinn who seemed disenchanted from his lack of attention. She curtsied before storming off in a huff but Nick didn't care. He span around in search of the cloaked stranger but he was too short to see over the crowd. When there was a tap on his shoulder, Nick turned slowly, trying to breathe evenly as he looked up.

He was met by green eyes and a broad, toothy smile and recognition washed over Nick.

"May I have this dance?" Sebastian asked as he took Nick's hand.

"'Bas, my father – he can't know-"

"Then we had best waltz away, hadn't we?" Sebastian pulled Nick against him before leading him into the dance.

Nick looked up at Sebastian, realising that the white strip around his head was a bandage. And he was wearing chainmail. And his navy cloak was edged with crimson. Nick's brown eyes widened in surprise and Sebastian chuckled softly as he watched him.

"Y-You're a knight! You were one of the ones that lasted the whole five minutes!" Nick gasped.

"Yes I am," Sebastian answered proudly. He had led Nick through to the gardens which were surprisingly empty but the prince hadn't noticed yet.

"But what happened to your head?" Nick reached up and brushed fingers over the bandage, Sebastian flinching away. "I'm sorry, is it still tender?"

"My head is pounding like a drum, actually," Sebastian said as he pulled Nick down to sit on the edge of the fountain. "But I wanted to tell you – surprise you if I could."

"Well I'm very surprised," Nick laughed as he looked his friend up and down again. "I can't believe you're a knight… How did you even manage to get in? I didn't think you could be a knight if you weren't of noble blood or didn't have a title."

"You can't be," Sebastian said simply, swallowing. "Which is why if anyone asks, my father still loves and supports me but has decided I need to be independent."

Nick froze at the words, and the insinuation attached to them. "You _lied_ to the Dalton Knights? Sebastian! Do you know how serious that is?!"

Sebastian clamped a hand over Nick's mouth, staring into his eyes imploringly. "It's only serious if they find out. You can't say anything to anybody, Nick. The only reason I'm telling you is because you'd kill me yourself if you found out I lied to get in."

Nick thought about it and knew it was true. He himself was a knight, a requirement of being a prince, and he had seen what happened to people who lied about their heritage to get into the Dalton Knights. The crack of a whip and the helpless screams were two sounds branded into Nick's memory.

Sebastian slowly moved his hand away though, holding it against Nick's cheek as he watched the thoughts ticking over in his eyes. The knight smiled softly before he leaned in and carefully kissed his prince. Nick's lips were soft, as always, and his breath was caught in his throat before he relaxed. Giving in to the kiss, Nick squeezed Sebastian's knee and kissed him back, sighing into his mouth.

Nick wanted to sit here and kiss Sebastian forever but the sounds of the festivities were too close. He held a hand against Sebastian's chainmail, the cold metal an unwelcome change to the usual warmth of Sebastian's stomach. Nick pulled away, licking his lips as he looked up at his friend sadly.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked as he smoothed a thumb over Nick's cheekbone.

"I want this so much," Nick whispered before he could stop himself. He bowed his head and closed his eyes before continuing, "I want _you_ so much. But every time I think about spending my life with you or kissing you in public or even just holding your hand… Father would disown me and probably kill you and I don't know how to live without you, Sebastian. You've been here my entire life; I don't know how to be with anyone else. I don't _want_ to be with anyone else. I love you so much and I want to be with you but-"

"No, don't finish that sentence," Sebastian murmured as he pulled Nick into a hug and smoothed a hand over the boy's back. "You're not alone in this, Nick. I'm scared too – can you imagine what _my_ father will do if he finds out about us? But whatever happens, we're in this together."

Nick carefully wrapped his arms around Sebastian's hips, sighing softly as he cuddled into his side. "I love you, 'Bas."

Sebastian pressed a kiss to Nick's hair, smiling as he rested his chin on top of the boy's head. "I love you too."

Sebastian's life was starting to look up again. And damn anyone who tried to change that.

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**A/N: Yay for personal growth and cute boys being adorable :p I may have another update tonight otherwise it will be early tomorrow (my time). I hope everyone's enjoying this and as always, if you have any questions, let me know. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

Rating: M

Characters: Sebastian, Nick, Blaine, Jeff

Warnings: Sexual references, violence, blood

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 6:**

Sebastian made a good knight. He revelled in having responsibility and something to occupy his time. He also enjoyed the fact that going on patrols meant he got to spend time with old friends from school. That was generally what the Lords' sons did after all – go to school, become a knight and then either die in battle or get married and have children. But none of Sebastian's old school friends were married yet and it all felt like they were back at school but with swords and armour.

Two months after joining the knights, Sebastian had moved out from Blaine's apartment into one of his own closer to the castle. He and Nick had been trying to spend as much time together as possible between Sebastian's guard duties and patrols. Sebastian could feel Nick growing more confident within himself. They felt liberated being by themselves in Sebastian's small apartment, no need to hide anything as they lounged on Sebastian's bed with their legs tangled together.

One night, the last night before Sebastian was due to leave on his longest patrol yet; there was a knock on his door an hour after sunset. Sebastian was in the middle of packing his clothes for the fortnight long trip but when he answered the door to find Nick on the other side, he forgot about everything else.

"Nick, what are you doing here?" Sebastian asked as the prince came inside. He looked oddly flustered and panic began to race through Sebastian.

"I-I needed to see you one more time – just us. I mean, I'll see you in the morning but I needed to _see you_."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes in puzzlement and went to ask more questions but Nick was in his arms and their lips crashed together. Nick moaned into Sebastian's mouth as he tugged at the ties of his trousers but Sebastian pulled away, holding Nick's shoulders as he looked into the prince's eyes.

"Nick, what are you doing?"

Nick sighed heavily. "I can't put this off any longer. It's going to happen eventually. And I want it-"

"Wait, what's going to happen eventually? Nick, you can't just walk in here and throw yourself at me like this," Sebastian sat down on the end of his bed and pulled Nick over to join him. "Talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

Nick looked into Sebastian's green eyes in a way the knight couldn't quite describe. "I want to be with you Sebastian… In _every_ way. I overheard my father talking to the captains of the guard this afternoon. There is some kind of king or something somewhere who is trying to threaten Dalton. I didn't want to lose you before I'd shown you how much I love you."

The information Nick had just divulged made Sebastian want to vomit but he couldn't. He kissed Nick gently. "You're not going to lose me. I'm going to go on this patrol tomorrow and come back in two weeks with a few bumps and bruises but _I am going to come back_."

Nick reached up and curled his fingers into Sebastian's hair, holding him steady as he whispered against the boy's lips. "I still want you… Just in case. Let me do this, for us."

Sebastian let their foreheads fall together as he closed his eyes as he tried to think, holding his hands against Nick's hips. He couldn't deny that he wanted Nick – he had been in love with him for so long. But Sebastian was finally getting used to the idea that Nick was the pure part of his life. Could he corrupt that purity?

Sebastian opened his eyes, peering into Nick's for some sign that this was what was best. The love that poured from Nick's brown eyes was enough to convince Sebastian that he could never take the prince's purity. Sebastian pulled his hands up to frame Nick's face and he kissed him deeply before pulling the prince down onto the bed.

"I love you, Sebastian."

"I love you too, Nick."

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.

.

Sebastian and Nick woke early the next morning. They had fallen asleep wrapped up in each other and pulling away to get dressed felt torturous. Nick helped Sebastian with his armour before holding him up against the wall, kissing him.

"I wish I was coming with you," Nick whispered against his lover's mouth.

"I'm glad you're not," Sebastian admitted. "If it really is dangerous out there… After last night I don't think I could stand to see you get hurt."

Nick combed his fingers through Sebastian's dark bronze hair. "I couldn't stand to see you get hurt either…" he leaned up to peck Sebastian once more. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sebastian whispered before Nick stepped away to the door. "I'll see you at the training fields?"

"Of course, I've still got to wish my knights well on their journey," Nick said jokingly before he disappeared into the glaring dawn light.

Sebastian ate a quick breakfast of bread and cheese before he tied is sword to his belt and headed out into the bright morning sun. The city was slowly stirring as Sebastian made his way towards the training fields, his saddlebags heavy on his shoulder. Reaching his destination, the knights all turned their gazes on him and stepped away. Sebastian swallowed nervously before approaching Jeff, one of the knights he had gone to school with.

"Jeff, what's wrong? The men look as if they've seen a ghost," Sebastian teased. He could feel the tension thick in the air and growing worse with each exhalation from his fellow knights.

"I don't know what to say to you, Sebastian," Jeff answered tersely. "I can't believe you would do such a thing…"

"Do what?" Sebastian asked, trying to laugh it off. Surely they can't have found out he and Nick had slept together. Sebastian glanced around in hopes of finding someone else who might explain things but he only saw Blaine racing towards him.

"Sebastian! You have to get out! They found out! They're looking for you!"

"Who is?" Sebastian asked, leaning towards Blaine in fearful anticipation.

"King Benjamin – your father hadn't been going to council meetings but he showed up yesterday. He had no idea you'd become a knight. They know he disowned you." Blaine grabbed Sebastian's arm and pulled him away from the other knights who were beginning to mutter and murmur. "You have to get out of here."

"Where do I go?"

"Anywhere, just run, run as fast as you can."

Sebastian looked to Blaine seriously. "Take care of Nick; tell him I'll find a way to be with him. Tell him I love him."

Blaine shoved Sebastian away. "I will, now _go_."

Sebastian nodded and turned to run off only to find his path blocked by the king, his guards and Lord Marcus Smythe. Sebastian stumbled and went to turn to run in the other direction but he and Blaine were trapped.

One of the knights stepped forward. "Master Smythe-"

"He's not Master Smythe," Lord Smythe interjected.

"Restrain yourself, Marcus," King Benjamin reprimanded. "Sebastian, you are under arrest for lying to the Dalton Knights about your heritage and thereby falsifying your eligibility for this prestigious order. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Your highness, it wasn't his-"

"I accept the accusation," Sebastian cut Blaine off. "I acted alone. I couldn't stand the idea of being homeless again… I apologise for my actions, there were other options open to me."

"I'm sorry but your words will not suffice in penance for this crime," King Benjamin sighed. "You will be taken to the Dalton prison and punished accordingly."

Sebastian's eyes widened in fear as two guards stepped forward and grabbed him, another stepping forward and removing his sword. He heard Blaine yelling and his father's cruel laughter as he was dragged away but his only thought was for Nick.

When they arrived at the prison, the guards led Sebastian down to the dungeons where he knew they kept a room reserved for punishing knights. It was to protect their "public reputation" but after the display on the training fields, Sebastian knew the entire city would know what happened by midday. The guards stripped him of his armour and tore off his shirt before he was pushed to stand with his hands on the wall, back turned to the guards.

"Sebastian Smythe, you have been accused of lying to the Dalton Knights by way of falsifying your heritage. Your punishment for this crime is to be twenty lashes and to be stripped of your title as a knight."

Sebastian didn't say anything, knowing that anything he had to say would be ignored anyway. He heard muffled words and the sound of a whip-tail dragging along the floor.

"We will count aloud," the knight said before the whip cracked and pain soared along every fibre of Sebastian's back. He clenched his jaw and clawed at the wall but it didn't slow the onslaught of lashes.

_Two._

_Three._

_Four._

Sebastian could feel the blood running freely down his back. He idly thought of the scars this would leave. He wondered if the whip was tipped with metal because there was no way leather hurt _that much_.

_Five._

_Six._

_Seven._

_Eight._

_Nine._

Sebastian had always thought there was a point where you were in so much pain that your body gave up. Where was that point? How many more lashes would it take to reach that point?

_Ten._

_Eleven._

_Twelve._

_Oh God, let it be over. Make it stop_, Sebastian thought as tears slipped abundantly down his cheeks.

_Thirteen._

_Fourteen._

_Fifteen._

Sebastian finally cried out in pain. He wanted to move, to fall, to collapse. But he was so tense and _breathing _hurt.

_Sixteen._

_Seventeen._

"Three more, Smythe. Think you can handle that?" the knight seethed.

_Eighteen._

_Nineteen._

_Save me, Nick_, Sebastian begged. The last lash fell hard across his back before Sebastian's body finally reconnected to his brain and he collapsed against the wall. Sinking to the floor, he heard the knights laughing cruelly before the world went black.

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**A/N: And I'll leave it there for now… I've changed how this part was going to go; it's not as dark as it originally was. Sorry for all these horrible cliffhangers I'm leaving you guys with but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. I'll try and have another update for you before I go out tonight but I make no promises. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day :) –Frankie xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Nick

Warnings: Talk of past violence

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognisable names used in this fic.

.

**CHAPTER 7:**

When he woke, Sebastian was in excruciating pain. He tried to move only to have a tortured scream pulled from his lips as the wounds in his back protested angrily. He felt hands on his face and heard someone speaking over him but the pain was everything. Something was held to his lips and tipped into his mouth and before his eyes could focus, he was unconscious again.

It was dark when Sebastian opened his eyes again and he was in considerably less pain. He managed to discern he was in bed but when he tried to look around, something pulled at the back of his neck.

"Don't move," a female voice murmured before a young woman dressed in white appeared in Sebastian's line of vision. "I'm one of the nurses. Just relax and try not to move. Do you want some water?"

Sebastian managed to breathe out an affirmative before the nurse helped him drink a few sips. He wet his mouth, sighing softly before he looked back to the nurse.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Sebastian," she answered. "Prince Nicholas and Sir Blaine found you in the dungeons. They brought you here and you woke up while we were trying to bathe the wounds. We gave you something to make you sleep so you wouldn't be in pain. And the prince suggested something to keep the wounds numb."

"Are all lashings like this?"

"No," she murmured with a sad shake of her head. "The whip had been tipped with metal. Sir Blaine suspected that the knights who carried out the punishment might have had a grudge against you. For whatever reason."

Sebastian managed a slight nod. "Where is Prince Nicholas now?"

"The doctors convinced him to go and get some sleep. Do you want me to send for him?"

"No, no, let him sleep. In the morning perhaps?"

The nurse nodded. "I will arrange for it. Try and get some sleep, Sebastian."

"Thank you," he murmured as he let his eyelids drift shut.

He might not be a knight or have a home or a family but he still had Nick. He would always have Nick.

.

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Nick sat by Sebastian's bedside with a weary expression. He had been up most of the night arguing with his father over what was to happen to the knights who had "punished" Sebastian. King Benjamin had been steadfast in his view that Sebastian's punishment had been fitting, uncaring that the boy would have died if Nick and Blaine hadn't found him in time. He had only had two hours sleep at most and now faced the unpleasant task of telling Sebastian he was leaving.

With Sebastian no longer a knight, the patrol had been delayed and the only knight not scheduled for duties or patrols was the prince. Nick didn't want to go, couldn't fathom leaving his love in such a state but he had no choice. He couldn't disobey his father when their relationship was hanging by such a fine thread.

Nick looked to Sebastian's face, peaceful as he slept, far from the pain. Nick had seen the wounds, had been horrified to imagine how much pain Sebastian was actually feeling. Watching him go slack with drug-induced unconscious had been an unusual blessing but one he knew his love would be thankful for.

As Sebastian stirred, Nick tried to summon some energy as he leaned forward and took his hand. Sebastian moaned softly, his brow furrowing slightly before he opened his eyes and looked up at Nick with a soft smile.

"Morning," Sebastian murmured, squeezing Nick's hand gently.

"How are you feeling?" Nick asked as he carefully pushed Sebastian's hair out of his eyes.

"Sore, stiff," Sebastian squeezed Nick's hand again. "I'll be alright though."

"I'm glad," Nick said as he smiled but Sebastian's positivity wasn't enough to make him forget about what he had to say. "'Bas, I have to tell you something… I wish it wasn't true but we don't have a choice…"

"What is it?" Sebastian asked worriedly.

Nick slipped off his chair and onto his knees beside the bed. "I have to go on the patrol you were meant to go on… It was postponed when Blaine ran off to find me. I'm the only knight they could find to fill your place."

Sebastian was squeezing Nick's hand tightly and the action puzzled the prince before realising it was the only way he could vent his frustrations without hurting himself. Nick leaned forward and kissed Sebastian gently, hoping the neighbouring patients were still asleep. He stroked his lover's face and hair, watching sadly as a single tear slipped from the corner of Sebastian's eye.

"I don't want you to go," Sebastian whispered brokenly.

"I know, and I don't want to go either. But neither of us can afford another run in with King Benjamin," Nick tried to laugh but it was unconvincing.

"Be careful," Sebastian said. "You have to promise."

"I promise. And Blaine won't let me do anything stupid. You just have to focus on getting better, alright? The doctors said last night that it would take you a while to regain your strength. And if they release you before we get back, you have to go to Blaine's alright? Don't go back to the streets. Go to Blaine's."

"I will," Sebastian replied, swallowing.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Nick glanced up to the window, sighing softly. "I need to go…" he leaned in for one last kiss. "I love you, 'Bas."

"I love you too," Sebastian murmured before he watched as Nick got to his feet and walked away. He looked the part of a knight and prince of Dalton but Sebastian's only worry was to what state either of them would be in the next time they met.

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**A/N: I was on fire so have another chapter. Now I really need to go to bed because it's 4 in the morning. Thanks for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Blaine

Warnings: A little bit of blood (icky-ness)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 8:**

Sebastian spent a week in the hospital. Walking was the hardest part and when he was finally allowed to go home, they gave him walking stick to use. It was helpful for the long walk to Blaine's and the next three days but when Sebastian got out of bed on the fourth day, he forgot it was even there. He still had a slight limp but it was bearable.

The first night he had stayed at Blaine's he had looked at the healing wounds in the mirror. They were still red and angry but they had scabbed over and Sebastian could move well enough so he didn't particularly care.

Waiting for the patrol to come back was the worst part. Sebastian had no motivation to start looking for work again and knew there would be little point until he had his mobility and strength back. During his brief excursions to the small market down the road, Sebastian gathered that two knights had been arrested for misconduct. That tidbit had made Sebastian smile before he returned to Blaine's apartment for another quiet night.

The morning that the patrol was due to return, Sebastian got up and worked to cook Blaine lunch. It was the least he could do for everything the knight had done for him. Sebastian still clearly remembered the look of determination in Blaine's hazel eyes when King Benjamin had come to have him arrested. It had amazed Sebastian that Blaine was willing to throw away his life for him. This further fuelled Sebastian's desire to repay him.

Midday came and went with no sign of Blaine or Nick or any of the knights that lived in this area. Sebastian was beginning to grow impatient and had set about throwing out what food wouldn't last and packing away what would when the front door burst open.

"Sebastian! Sebastian, you have to help!"

Sebastian limped out from the kitchen to find a dirty, bloodied Blaine panting in the doorway. Blood was caked to his face and neck, a bruise blackened his left eye and he was holding his hand firm against his right side.

"What the hell happened to you?" Sebastian asked exasperatedly. Blaine stumbled forward, reaching back to slam the door closed behind him.

"We were attacked two days ago. In the forest. Sebastian, you have to do something. He's still out there. Or he's been caught. We don't know, we lost him."

Sebastian clenched his teeth and steeled his gaze. "Blaine. What happened?"

The knight paled before carefully sitting down at his table. "That king that had made a threat on Dalton… Hunter Clarington, that's his name. He's the king of a neighbouring country – Springs. He killed his father to get there. He has the strongest military I've ever seen or heard of. And he's got _magic_."

Sebastian nodded as he sunk into the other chair. "And who did you lose in the forest?"

Blaine looked to Sebastian with wide, apologetic eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sebastian… They came so fast and they kept releasing this blinding light… We all lost track of him. I think they took Nick."

"Does the King know?"

Blaine shook his head. "I'm the only one who isn't in the hospital. Most of the patrol were stabbed or poisoned. I have to go and tell him."

"Then go, go before he finds out from Hunter whatever his name is."

"Come with me," Blaine murmured. "Come with me so we can propose a mission. We'll go to Springs and find Nick, bring him home."

"Blaine, we're not capable of infiltrating a castle that's protected by a magic king," Sebastian scoffed. "We'll be no better off than Nick – _if we survive_."

"Two people will be more likely to get in than an army."

Sebastian shook his head. "I-I'm not strong enough. I don't know if I could walk that distance… I can't fight – not without damaging what's healed."

Blaine got to his feet, wincing and wobbling slightly on his feet. "Well, I'm going and proposing a small team going to Springs to try and find Prince Nicholas. This is your chance to be his knight in shining armour. Are you coming or not?"

Sebastian watched Blaine's determined expression before he slowly got to his feet. "Fine. But only because you owe me after I saved your hide when they arrested me."

A grin split across Blaine's features before they made their way up to the castle. Stepping through the heavy wooden doors into the marble hall where King Benjamin worked from, Sebastian felt very out of place but when the king spotted his son's closest friends, he ran towards them.

"Where is Nick?! Why hasn't he come to see me? Where is he?!" King Benjamin demanded.

"I apologise for being the bearer of bad news, your highness but I'm afraid Prince Nicholas was captured by King Hunter's army," Blaine answered, struggling to take the proper "alert" stance. "They had magicians who kept blinding us with light. I fear the prince may have been captured during one of the bursts of light."

"And what did you do to retrieve him?" King Benjamin growled.

"Most of the knights were poisoned or too badly wounded to start searching for the prince," Blaine answered. "The rest of the patrol is currently seeking treatment in the hospital as we speak. But Master Sebastian and I had an idea on how to go about retrieving the prince though."

"How?"

Sebastian stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back. "Sir Blaine suggested to me that we go to Springs and try to find Prince Nicholas. Just the two of us. Two people are more likely to be successful in getting past King Hunter's defences than an army. We would hopefully be able to slip in and out unnoticed."

"And why should I trust you, Master Sebastian? Those lashes in your back were not for nothing."

Sebastian looked King Benjamin in the eye, something only his family ever did. "Because I would give up my life if it meant saving Nick. I will do whatever it takes to get him home safely."

King Benjamin seemed taken aback by Sebastian's severity. "What would you need to accomplish this task?"

"Two horses, a sword for myself, food, a tent, a map and basic medical supplies," Sebastian answered simply. "I have not recovered well enough from my injuries to walk the entire way and we do not know what state Prince Nicholas will be in when we find him."

King Benjamin turned to Blaine then. "I am afraid I cannot spare you if eighteen of my men are severely wounded or recovering from poisons. Master Sebastian will have to go alone."

"Then I will go alone," Sebastian interjected. "I will do whatever it takes to find your son, King Benjamin."

The king turned back to Sebastian with a nod. "Your determination to save my son is honestly disturbing but if it means he will be brought home, you will be granted your requested items. Report to the stables in the morning, no later than an hour after dawn. You will go alone."

"Understood."

"And if you do not return within a fortnight, the army will be sent to Springs."

Sebastian nodded before he bowed as low as he could. "Thank you for granting me this opportunity, your highness."

Sebastian turned and strode out of the hall then, Blaine following as quickly as he could. When they were out in the hallway, Sebastian fell back to lean against the wall.

_What the hell am I doing?_

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**A/N: Yay I actually kept an update promise :D I'm excited for the next few parts. I'll work on the next chapter at my dad's (unless we go to the movies because I'm sorry but I'm dying to see The Hobbit). We'll see the entry of Kurt next chapter so if you were excited to see him, he's finally here :) Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Kurt

Warnings: Mild violence

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 9:**

Sebastian had perused the maps before leaving the city and the journey to Springs didn't seem particularly treacherous. But when he was out in the middle of the otherwise empty forest, he began to worry if this had been a good idea after all.

When he came across a stream, Sebastian stopped for lunch. Leaving his horse to graze by the stream, he ate his dull meal of bread and water, trying not to think about Nick. He tried not to think about how if he had never lied about his father; Nick would be safe at home in his tower. But Sebastian knew that the past was set in stone. There was nothing left to do now but try to find Nick and bring him home.

As he carefully got to his feet, feeling the skin of his back reluctantly shift, Sebastian eyed something shimmering beneath some leaves. Kneeling down, Sebastian winced as he reached down to pluck the shining object from where it was embedded in the ground. Turning it over in his hands, Sebastian realised it was a silver arrowhead.

Glancing around, Sebastian realised the ground was littered with them. It wasn't until he found one still attached to its shaft that he realised this must have been where the patrol was attacked. When he heard a strange rustling in the trees, Sebastian dropped the arrowhead and rushed towards his horse. As he reached for the reins, a strange man leapt down, blocking his path.

Sebastian opened his mouth to question the man but he found himself shoved back and sprawled across the ground. Pain lanced up and down his back and he had lost track of the stranger before a face appeared in his line of vision. The man was standing over him, a thin sword held to Sebastian's throat. As Sebastian peered up at him, he realised his adversary was not in fact human. With pale skin and sharp features, this man was an elf.

"What are you doing out here?" the elf demanded, his blue eyes piercing.

"I'm on my way to Springs. My friend has been captured by King hunter," Sebastian answered quickly as his gaze flicked between the elf's face and the blade.

"Are you alone?" The elf's voice was surprisingly high-pitched, even for an elf.

"It's just the horse and I, no one else could spare the time to help me."

"And how do you intend to get past his guards and magical shields?"

"Uh, luck, I guess. I hadn't thought that far ahead yet…"

The elf scoffed at him but pulled his sword away. "Well, have fun with that. I'll send word to your home that your stupidity led to your death."

Sebastian slowly got to his feet, glaring at the elf. "At least I'm not attacking unsuspecting wanderers."

"Unsuspecting wanderers? That's what you're deciding to call yourself?" the elf turned back to him with a look halfway between anger and amusement. "I'm sorry but where I come from, men on horseback with swords don't exactly constitute unsuspecting wanderers. It looks to me as if you're very much suspecting something."

"Do you want something Princess or can I be on my way?" Sebastian asked as he folded his arms across his chest. His back was screaming for relief but the medicine he had been granted was in his saddlebags and he couldn't afford to show weakness to this elf, not until he understood what side he was on.

"Well I was going to offer to help you but if you're going to be rude…" The elf shot Sebastian a wry smile. "After all, I do know the only secret passage in and out of that fortress disguised as a castle."

Sebastian swore under his breath. He knew Blaine would have chastised him for the way he was acting but his natural reaction had always been "attack". Thankfully, he had also grown rather good at repairing the damage his reactions caused.

"I'm Sebastian, former knight of Dalton."

"Former? What did you do to lose that title?" It was taking all of Sebastian's willpower not to punch this elf in the face but however annoying he was, he could be the key to saving Nick.

"Lied about my father disowning me," Sebastian answered simply. There was no point in lying.

"Ah, so that's why you were in so much pain when I pushed you over. How many did they give you for that? Fifty?"

"Twenty," Sebastian answered quietly. Twenty had been bad enough but fifty he knew would have killed him.

"Only twenty? And you're still healing?" The elf darted forward, pulling up the back of Sebastian's shirt before he hissed. "I didn't know Dalton used metal-tips on their knights…"

Sebastian pulled away, tugging his shirt back down. "They don't. The men who carried out my punishment apparently held a grudge."

The elf looked sympathetic at the statement. "My name is Kurt."

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt," Sebastian said with a slight smile. "But I really have to go."

"I was serious about helping you," Kurt said as he watched Sebastian approach his horse. "My sarcasm gets in the way of my manners sometimes."

"Oh really?"

"I can help you. I have nowhere else to be. I can help you get into Hunter's castle and if you want, I can help with the pain in your back too."

Sebastian froze – the offer was tempting. He slowly turned to the elf with a narrow, sceptical gaze. "What do you want in return?"

Kurt blushed slightly, running a hand along the side of his head, ruffling his chestnut hair. "Would you be able to help me get permission to live in Dalton?"

"W-Why? Why would an elf want to live with humans?"

"The elven city, Lima… They've let me do some of the most important work for the city and they've helped my father as well but they just don't accept me. Not for who I am," Kurt shrugged. "I'm looking for a new start."

Sebastian nodded slowly. "I think between the Prince and I we could figure something out."

"The Prince?"

Sebastian carefully mounted his horse, curling the reins around his hand as he looked back to Kurt. "Prince Nicholas is the friend I have caught in Hunter's castle. If you help me free him and return him to Dalton, I can't see why King Benjamin wouldn't be willing to grant you a place in his court."

Kurt's eyes lit up as he smiled but he turned serious again. "Then we had best be on our way. Ride as fast as you want, I'll keep up."

"Alright then," Sebastian replied with a smile.

"And no more calling me Princess!" Kurt called, seeming further away.

Sebastian laughed softly and spurred his horse forward. Perhaps this wouldn't be so difficult after all.

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**A/N: Yay for Kurtbastian friendship :D A little more backstory for Kurt up next and then into the depths of Hunter Clarington's castle. The next few chapters may topple out pretty quickly, depending on how enthusiastic I get hahaha The angst queen shall make a triumphant return … again. :p But I hope you're enjoying this and thank you for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

Rating: PG

Characters: Sebastian, Kurt

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 10:**

Sebastian and Kurt didn't talk much throughout the day which left the man to wonder about his new companion. Why was Kurt not accepted by the elves? Sebastian had always thought they were a very open and loving people. Why did Kurt know how to break into King Hunter's castle? What had he needed to know that for? Sebastian had a feeling there would be plenty of dinner conversation whenever they stopped for the night.

Kurt dropped down from the trees as they reached the edge of the forest at dusk. He led Sebastian along the outskirts of the forest until they came to another branch of the stream Sebastian had stopped at that morning.

"What food do you have for dinner?" Kurt asked as he watched Sebastian dismount.

"Salted meat I think," Sebastian answered as he checked his saddlebags. "Do elves eat meat?"

"Not usually, on special occasions we do. I can make an exception though, I don't mind," Kurt answered. "I'll go and collect some firewood. Let that poor animal have some water. He's been so good today."

Sebastian smiled at the praise before he removed the saddle and led the horse over to the stream. He stroked the creature's neck as it leaned down to drink before turning back to the small clearing Kurt had led them to. He considered pitching the tent but knew that would be easier with Kurt to help and instead pulled out the meat and skillet.

Kurt soon returned with an armful of firewood and he set about lighting the fire.

"Kurt, can I ask you something?" Sebastian asked as he watched the sparks ignite.

"Yes, I'm gay," he answered without looking up.

"No, no, that wasn't my question. I mean, that's fine if you are, but that's not – I mean-"

"Breathe Sebastian, it's fine. You were curious, it's not a problem."

"That wasn't what I was curious about… But is that why you left Lima?"

Kurt nodded, finally looking to the man. "They _tolerated_ me but tolerance wasn't enough anymore. I didn't feel comfortable to act on it, you know?"

"Yeah, yes I understand that."

Kurt watched him before venturing, "You're gay too, right?"

"How could you tell?" Sebastian had always thought he hid it rather well. He supposed it was more obvious to someone who was … _like him_.

"You're eyes lit up when you were talking about Prince Nicholas," Kurt answered with a smile. "I bet that isn't an easy relationship."

"No… Nick's family doesn't know about us, only our friend Blaine does. Blaine's gay too and he's helped us out a few times."

Kurt nodded before he reached for the skillet. "We'd better cook this meat or we'll be up all night."

Sebastian handed him the skillet before he tried to let himself relax. "And how do you know about the secret passage into King Hunter's castle?"

"I used to be a scout for the Queen. It was my job to keep an eye on the neighbouring cities and countries. Sometimes I would have to accompany patrols to Springs and help them break elven prisoners out. I found the secret passage early on in my career, that's how I was able to climb the ranks so quickly."

"So you're young for an elf?"

"Reasonably," Kurt shrugged. "I started working for the Queen earlier than most elves start work. It was always just my father and I. He got sick a few years ago and couldn't work as much so I tried to help. He works on the Queen's council now though so he'll be alright without me."

"It can't have been easy to leave him though," Sebastian noted as he carefully reached back to rub over the scars on his lower back. He wanted desperately to scratch them, the dry skin itchy and irritating, but he knew that would only make them bleed.

"We talked about it for a long time; he understands why I felt I needed to leave. And who knows? Maybe I'll go back one day." Kurt was watching Sebastian uneasily. "I did say this morning that I might be able to help your back heal… Do you want me to do anything about it?"

"What can you do?" Sebastian asked as he pulled his hands away. He couldn't understand why it was taking so long for the wounds to heal and if whatever Kurt was going to do would impede the healing process, he didn't want a bar of it.

"There's a special kind of plant that if you soak its leaves in cold water and then apply the water to wounds, the wounds heal faster."

"And you'd be able to find that plant around here?" Sebastian asked.

"I should be able to, I can go and search now and we can soak them while we have dinner."

Sebastian nodded. "Alright."

Kurt handed him the skillet handle. "That shouldn't need much longer," he said as he got to his feet. "I'll be back soon."

Sebastian nodded before he settled in to wait for their dinner to cook. Watching the flames lick at the bottom of the skillet was soothing and Sebastian felt his eyelids drooping. He forced them open again when his hand began to feel warmer. He pulled the skillet back from the flames, inspecting the meat before he moved the skillet to rest on the ground beside him. He quickly checked his hand over, thankful to find it void of burns before he sank into silence, waiting for Kurt to return.

When the elf came back, Sebastian set about cutting up the meat into smaller pieces while Kurt filled a small bowl with water from the stream and mixed in the leaves he had collected.

"That should be ready to go by the time we've eaten and pitched the tent."

"Why pitched the tent?" Sebastian asked as Kurt sat across from him.

"The water needs to be able to soak the wounds. It'll be easier if you lie on your stomach and then let it soak in while you sleep. I can take the first watch."

Sebastian nodded before he carefully plucked one of the pieces of meat from the skillet. The dinner was bland and dry but Sebastian knew he shouldn't complain. Kurt looked less than pleased as well but they ate in silence.

When he was finished, Kurt brushed the residual food from his hands before pushing himself to his feet. "I'll get started on the tent; you go wash out the skillet so we don't attract animals during the night."

"Yes mother," Sebastian laughed as he wandered over to the stream. He rinsed the skillet out as best as he could, only his sense of touch helping him tell whether it was clean or not before he returned to help Kurt finish pitching the tent.

"Go put down a blanket or whatever it is you have to sleep on and take your shirt off. I'll be there in a second," Kurt said as he crossed to where he had left the bowl.

Sebastian complied and rolled out a woollen blanket on one side of the tent before taking off his sword and tugging off his shirt. The cool air washed over the scars and wounds in his back and he sighed contently before lying down.

"Alright, I'm sorry if this stings or is cold or whatever. If it starts to burn though, tell me and I'll stop," Kurt said quietly as he knelt beside Sebastian. "I haven't seen wounds like this from a lashing for a long time… Those knights must have really hated you."

"A lot of people in Dalton hate me. I wasn't the nicest person when I was at school. I made a lot of enemies," Sebastian explained as the cold water was smeared over his back.

"How?"

"I spent a lot of that time drunk so I don't really remember but a lot of people just didn't like my attitude. I was irresponsible, rude, arrogant – that all only really went away when my father disowned me a few months ago."

"Why did he disown you?"

"He considered my behaviour "misconduct" and told me that I was "indiscreet". I think he was just trying to find a different way to say he didn't want me anymore because I'm gay."

There was a pause before Kurt responded. "You'll be alright, though. People like that aren't worth the effort."

"I suppose you're right."

"Alright, let that soak in and I'll wake you at about midnight."

Sebastian nodded slightly but he was already slipping into sleep. He felt closer to Nick already and knew that in a few short days, they would be together again.

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**A/N: It's 4:30 in the morning but have another chapter. Now I can jump straight into the awesome stuff later :p The rest of the story is pretty dark though so just be mindful of that. This is probably the most "happy" it's going to be for a while. Thanks for reading :) –Frankie xoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

Rating: T

Characters: Sebastian, Kurt, Hunter, Mr Puss (the cat)

Warnings: Sexual references

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 11:**

When Sebastian woke, light streamed into the tent and he could smell something cooking. He was still lying on his stomach and Sebastian carefully reached back to brush his fingers over his back. The skin felt a lot better, less dry and more like raised skin than scabbed over wounds. Sebastian carefully crawled out of the tent, grabbing his shirt before he wandered over to the campfire that Kurt was hovering over.

"Good morning," Sebastian yawned.

"Good morni- woah, why is your shirt not on?"

Sebastian laughed at the elf's reaction. "Can you just check my back, please? Tell me how bad it is?"

Kurt muttered under his breath, words Sebastian didn't recognise but it sounded like cursing. The elf got to his feet, moving to inspect Sebastian's wounds with gentle fingers and a steady gaze.

"Say something please," Sebastian said impatiently.

"It looks good, they've all closed up," Kurt murmured. "They're all raised though, and not particularly nice to look at."

"Thank you so much, I've never felt more confident in my life. That was just what I needed to hear before I go off to rescue the love of my life from a magically protected fortress castle," Sebastian said dryly. He pulled on his shirt before he looked to Kurt with a smile, the elf rolling his eyes playfully before he knelt back down beside the fire.

"I found some poor rabbits who must have been hurt in whatever fight happened in the forest the other day. I put them out of their misery and figured they would make a good breakfast."

Sebastian nodded. "Well, I'll pack up the tent and then after we've eaten we can head off."

"You might as well leave the tent actually," Kurt called from the fireside.

"Why?" Sebastian asked with a frown.

Kurt gestured to the east, where the forest ended. "Beyond those trees it's a straight half-a-day's walk to King Hunter's castle. A horse would make us more noticeable. We can leave after breakfast and be back tonight – if everything goes according to plan."

"What happens if it doesn't go according to plan, though?"

Kurt caught his lip between his teeth as he turned to face Sebastian. "I would suspect that it wouldn't matter because we would both be dead."

Sebastian nodded again before he sat down. "Then I guess we had better come up with some strategies."

Over breakfast they decided that Sebastian would lead them across the plains and into the castle and that Kurt would lead them back so that Sebastian could take care of Nick. Kurt explained where the secret passage in the outer city wall was, painting vivid images in Sebastian's head of where they were going. It was nerve-racking but when they doused the fire and tied their weapons to their belts, Sebastian knew they could do this.

The grass on the plains was tall, almost reaching to Sebastian's shoulders, and the sun was hot where it hovered in the cloudless sky. King Hunter's castle was an eyesore at best. It was made of a dark stone and stood in the middle of the plains. Sebastian couldn't understand whether that was an advantage or not but his attention soon turned to where the land dipped on one side of the castle.

In the glare of the mid-afternoon sun, Sebastian and Kurt found themselves giving the castle a wide berth as they drew closer to their destination. They had been close all day long but as they neared the outer wall of the citadel, Kurt lingered to keep an eye out while Sebastian searched for the tunnel.

At the lowest point of the dip in the land, Sebastian found an archway marked on the bricks of the wall. He tapped a short rhythm against the bricks before stepping away to watch with Kurt as the bricks slowly disappeared one by one. The tunnel was barely big enough for them to walk through it, the bottom was filled with water up to their ankles and a foul stench wafted out to meet them.

"Are you ready for this?" Kurt asked quietly as he drew his sword. "There's no turning back once we get in there."

Sebastian drew his own sword and looked to Kurt. "We have to find Nick."

The tunnel was far more unpleasant than Sebastian had anticipated. It was cold and the water was dripping from its ceiling and all Sebastian could hear was the echo of his footsteps. He felt like he was giving himself away but there was no way to quieten his passage. He and Kurt walked for a long time in silence before the tunnel opened out onto a stone corridor.

Kurt yanked Sebastian back when he moved to step into the open. "Are you insane?!" he hissed. "We can't just walk out into the open! Do you actually want to get yourself killed?!"

"We're not going to rescue Nick standing in a dripping pipe," Sebastian growled.

"You need to go left down the hallway to the stairs. But you're not going until the path is clear! The last time I was here Hunter was thinking of putting magicians down here to stop me getting in and rescuing the elves he'd captured."

"And it's a good thing King Hunter did."

Sebastian turned away from Kurt to find himself faced by a group of no less than five grisly-looking guards. The one who must have spoken watched the intruders with a smirk. Sebastian turned again to try and run but he and Kurt only made it a few feet before they were stopped again by the guard who had spoken.

"M-Magician," Kurt gasped as he stepped back into Sebastian.

"Admit it, boys. You are outnumbered. This will all be over much faster if you just agree to come quietly." The sound of snickering echoed around them, a joke that they were not privy to, before their arms were forced behind their backs and their weapons were confiscated.

They weren't led past the dungeons and when they were led along a wider corridor, four other guards joined them. The interior of King Hunter's castle was much like its outside but with torches lighting the corridors and long carpets lining the floor. Sebastian wanted desperately to look to Kurt, to find reassurance in his eyes but when he finally got the chance, he only saw his own fear mirrored in the elf's face.

The guards stopped outside a pair of large wooden doors that had been painted black. Sebastian felt them bind his wrists with some kind of itchy rope before the doors opened and he was pulled into a grand hall. Dark purple and blue tapestries hung on the walls and statues lined the path to the raised platform where King Hunter Clarington sat in a throne draped in black cloth. He was young, still with a baby-face, and dressed casually in a loose shirt and slim-fitting trousers. A white cat was settled on his knees but was quickly discarded when the king saw he had company.

"Now who do we have here?" he asked, a sly excitement edging his tone. Sebastian spared him a glance but when King Hunter leaned forward and peered down at him, he averted his gaze. Sebastian and Kurt were forced to their knees and the magician stepped forward.

"Intruders, your majesty. They knew about the secret passage leading into the dungeon corridor."

"But what are their names? I want to know the names of these lovely young men." King Hunter had stood and was making his way down the steps from his throne and heading straight for Sebastian.

"My name is Kurt, formerly from the city of Lima," Kurt answered, his voice strong and proud.

"And you?" Hunter murmured as he stood over Sebastian.

"Sebastian," he answered. There was no point explaining that he had no family. He was going to die anyway.

"Just Sebastian?"

Sebastian nodded before he looked down at the floor again.

"And what is your purpose here, Sebastian?" Hunter asked as he clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace slowly back and forth.

Sebastian looked to Kurt who was silently pleading for him to keep quiet but he couldn't do it. "We were trying to find the Prince of Dalton."

Hunter paused and looked back to Sebastian with a smirk. "And why would an elf and a man with no last name be after a prince?"

Sebastian bit his lip and shook his head before looking down at the floor again. He heard footsteps before fingers gripped his chin and tilted his head upwards again. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes and Sebastian cursed himself for betraying Nick as King Hunter began to laugh.

"The boy is in love with a prince! Oh and King Benjamin's son too! That's practically a death sentence!" Hunter clapped his hands and laughed again. "Oh this is just too perfect!"

"What do want us to do with them, sir?" the magician asked.

Hunter slowly recovered from his laughing fit and waved a hand before he returned to bob down in front of Sebastian, looking him right in the eye. "What do you say to a little deal, hmm? You and I make a little arrangement regarding your little prince's fate…"

Sebastian reluctantly nodded for Hunter to make his offer. His heart was thudding painfully in his chest as anxiety coursed through his veins. This would either end splendidly or chaotically but Sebastian's only hope was that he would see Nick again.

Hunter reached out and gently stroked Sebastian's cheek, the boy shuddering but not pulling away. "You let me … _have my way_ and I let you and your little friends go home in one piece."

Sebastian took a deep, steadying breath. "Alright, but you also promise to never threaten Dalton again."

"I'm gonna need a little more incentive then," Hunter whispered in Sebastian's ear.

"What do you want?" Sebastian forced out, clenching his fists tightly in an attempt to distract himself.

"Three drops of blood."

Sebastian sighed and nodded. Of all the things he could have asked for, Hunter picked something Sebastian could bear to give. The King stood again and Sebastian felt himself relax but he could still feel the anger pouring from Kurt.

"Take the elf down to the dungeons but see that he and the Dalton prince are fed. Sebastian will be coming with me."

Sebastian watched sadly as Kurt was dragged away but if this was what it would take to free them all, he was glad to do it.

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**A/N: Poor Sebastian, what a mess he's gotten himself into now. And what does Hunter want with his blood? All will become clear eventually :p I hope you're enjoying it and thank you for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

Rating: M

Characters: Sebastian, Hunter, Kurt, Nick

Warnings:Dubcon, sexual references, blood

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 12:**

Sebastian felt alien in his own skin as he sat on the edge of Hunter's bed. The King was already naked but Sebastian found it difficult to move as he tried to keep his breathing steady. He kept reminding himself that he was doing this for Nick but it didn't help. He felt the mattress shift behind him and Hunter's hands slipped around his waist, the man's chin coming to rest on his shoulder.

Hunter slipped his hands beneath Sebastian's shirt and turned to press kisses to his cheek. Hunter laughed softly before leaning back and pulling Sebastian's shirt over his head. Sebastian heard the man gasp softly and he remembered the scars on his back. He slowly turned to face Hunter who seemed genuinely upset at the sight.

"What happened to you?" Hunter whispered.

"Two knights with a grudge and a metal-tipped whip."

Hunter shuffled forward and held Sebastian's face in his hands before he leaned in and kissed Sebastian deeply. "I would never let that happen to you, not if you were in my court."

Sebastian ignored the comment and kissed Hunter again. The sooner this was over with, the sooner he would be able to find Nick and go home. The king wrapped his arms around Sebastian tightly, carefully moving his hands over the maze of scars on his back as he pulled him back onto the bed.

Sebastian felt dirty as Hunter undressed him. He'd had one night stands and sex with strangers many times before but he had Nick now. He could only hope that he would still have him when he found out what Sebastian had done to save him.

It felt wrong to be with someone who knew what they were doing. Sebastian missed Nick's clumsiness, the way he blushed every time he touched or kissed Sebastian. Hunter felt no shame for what he was doing and from the sounds escaping his lips, Sebastian knew he was enjoying it as well. The only thing left to do was breathe.

But Sebastian felt the hate rising within him. Hate for Hunter for making this his only option. Hate for King Benjamin who didn't want to spare his knights to save his son. Hate for Kurt for not stopping him before they got caught. But mostly hate for himself for feeling pleasure at what Hunter did and not being able to stop it.

Hunter came, and collapsed over Sebastian. His breath was hot and heavy against his skin but Sebastian didn't have the strength or the conviction to push him away. Hunter eventually rolled off of Sebastian of his own volition but kept a watchful gaze on the boy, smiling broadly.

Sebastian sighed and sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed before he set about getting dressed. He could feel Hunter's gaze on him the entire time but didn't look back at the young king until he was dressed again.

"Can I go now, please?" Sebastian asked quietly.

"Not quite yet," Hunter replied as he leaned over and pulled a dagger from under a pillow. He moved to kneel on the mattress and crawled over to Sebastian. "I still need my three drops of blood."

Sebastian sighed softly but nodded and let the king take his hand. Hunter turned his hand so his palm faced upwards but he pushed up Sebastian's sleeve.

"This won't hurt a bit," Hunter murmured as he dug the blade into Sebastian's wrist. The man swore but didn't tug away, whimpering softly as the blood seeped slowly from the wound. Sebastian looked away while Hunter worked to collect enough blood before he felt lips on his wrist. Looking back, he saw Hunter pull away from the wound that was still open and quite widely so but didn't bleed.

"What did you-"

"Don't worry about it, Sebastian. Everything will be alright," Hunter murmured as he discarded the dagger and a vial that held Sebastian's blood.

"Can I go now?" Sebastian asked again.

Hunter leaned up and kissed him gently. "Your friends will be waiting in the main hall. And Sebastian," Hunter paused to reach down and grip the front of Sebastian's trousers firmly. "If you ever want to switch sides, don't be afraid to come and find me."

Sebastian felt his stomach turn but Hunter released him and he hurried from the room. It was a quick walk back to the main hall where he found the guards surrounding Kurt and Nick, the prince seeming unsteady on his feet. Sebastian dove forward and pulled Nick into his arms, holding him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" he exclaimed as he rocked Nick gently. "I'll take you home and everything will be alright."

Nick groaned but didn't otherwise respond, obviously unwell. Sebastian pulled Nick's arm around his shoulders before looking to Kurt.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, you?" The elf's eyes were shining with worry but Sebastian suspected he was grateful to see Sebastian again.

"I'll be alright," Sebastian answered before he turned to the magician. "Are we free to leave now?"

"But of course," the magician answered before he gestured to the doors that led back out into the world. "Thank you for visiting Springs."

Sebastian nodded his recognition before he, Kurt and Nick began making their way home.

Without having to keep their cover, it was a lot easier to get back to the forest – even with having to basically carry Nick. When they reached the campsite, the moon was at its peak in the night sky. Kurt set about packing the tent and the few things they had left out that morning while Sebastian lay Nick on the ground and checked him over.

The prince was caked in blood from head to toe but he didn't seem to be bleeding or wounded. Sebastian suspected he was so exhausted from lack of food but when he lifted Nick's shirt, he found his lover was covered in bruises on his back were deep cuts from what appeared to be a whip.

"We need to get Nick back to Dalton. He's covered in bruises and his back looks almost as bad as mine did," Sebastian called to Kurt.

"You ride with him. I'll catch up," Kurt answered as he led the horse back. "I can take the saddlebags and the tent."

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked as he carefully lifted Nick into his arms.

"I'm faster and stronger than you know, Sebastian. And you need to get Nick to safety before he gets any worse."

Sebastian nodded as he and Kurt carefully manoeuvred Nick into the saddle. Sebastian swung in to sit behind him, pulling the prince against him before he grasped the reins.

"I'll let the gatekeepers know that you're on your way if we lose track of each other," Sebastian murmured. Kurt nodded with a smile before they headed back through the forest towards Dalton.

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**A/N: Okay, I'm going to leave it there because I've just had a brainwave about the next chapter. I might have that one up tonight but I don't know, I really need to go to bed earlier but we'll see how we go. Thanks for reading –Frankie xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

Rating: PG

Characters: Blaine, Kurt, Sebastian, Jeff

Warnings: Tiny bit of medical talk

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

.

**CHAPTER 13:**

Blaine sighed as he turned away from the main road leading to and from Dalton. He had been anxiously waiting at the gatehouse for Sebastian since being released from the hospital. He knew it was nearly impossible for him to have been back a mere two days after leaving for Springs but Blaine needed to know his friends were alright.

"Sir Jeff, I want to be alerted the _second_ Sebastian and Prince Nick are seen. I don't care if they're a dot on the horizon; _I'm_ the first to know."

"Yes sir," Jeff replied before reiterating the order to the other men on duty. Blaine grabbed his sword and was about to go home to get some sleep when he heard the calls.

"A rider and a man on foot approaching!"

"Is it Sebastian and Prince Nicholas?" Blaine yelled back, rushing to the gatehouse balcony and peering out to the horizon before his eyes combed back to find the figures hurrying towards the gates. The figure on foot didn't seem familiar and the figure on the horse seemed strange.

"There's two figures on the horse," Jeff clarified as he peered through a spyglass. "One of them seems to be unconscious and I don't recognise the man on foot. He's leading the horse though. Something must have happened."

Blaine clapped Jeff on the shoulder. "I'll go out and meet them. Send someone to the hospital and tell them two, maybe three people are coming. Tell them Prince Nicholas is one of them. Send for the King to meet us in the hospital." Blaine waited for Jeff's recognition before he ran down from the gatehouse and out to meet his friends.

"Sebastian! Nick! Are you alright?" Blaine called as he ran towards them.

"They're sick! I think Nick has broken ribs and some of his wounds are infected. He hasn't been conscious since we left Springs! Sebastian got worse during the night-"

Blaine froze when he laid eyes on the man who had been explaining. Not man – elf. "W-Who are you?"

"Kurt, I met Sebastian in the forest on his way to Springs. They need help. Who are you?"

"My name's Blaine," he murmured, watching the elf with wide eyes before he snapped out of his reverie. "Follow me; I'll lead you straight to the hospital. My men were instructed to alert them of our arrival."

Blaine led Kurt through the city to the hospital where Sebastian and Nick were pulled down from the horse and carried inside.

"Can you stay with Sebastian? I'll need to speak with Prince Nicholas' father," Blaine said.

"Go, go, I can stay with Sebastian," Kurt replied before he rushed off after the doctors and nurses who were carrying him away.

They laid Sebastian down on a bed in a separate room and the doctors began checking him over. They kept barking questions at Kurt and he was struggling to keep up.

"What are the scars on his back from?"

"He was lashed."

"When was the last time he ate?"

"Yesterday morning."

"When did he fall unconscious?"

"Some time in the last hour or so."

"Was he complaining of fever or nausea?"

"N-No."

The inquisition stopped when Sebastian started coughing harshly and Kurt backed away until he was pressed against a wall. A nurse dove in with water but when they tried to help him drink, he started coughing even more. Kurt dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and tried to block out the commotion but it was too loud and too close.

Kurt felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see a young nurse smiling up at him.

"Would you like some fresh air, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Will Sebastian be alright?"

"He'll be perfectly fine. You don't have to go far. You just look a little upset is all."

Kurt took a deep shuddering breath before he nodded and quietly slipped outside into the hallway. He closed the door carefully behind him and let out a long sigh. The night had been long and when Sebastian had started getting sick at dawn, Kurt had panicked. He paced back and forth along the corridor a few times as he tried to relax.

When the door to the room opened again and a doctor stepped out, Kurt froze and looked to him with wide eyes.

"Sebastian is going to be fine. He was sick a few months ago, an infection that has been known to recur if the patient is under high amounts of stress. We've given him medicine to help with the coughing and we'll keep giving it to him until he starts feeling better," the doctor explained calmly.

"What about the cut in his arm?" Kurt asked quietly.

"We've cleaned and bound it. We tried to stitch it but the threads kept breaking. It wasn't bleeding though so it's no immediate danger to him."

Kurt nodded again. "Will he be taken to a room or a ward or something now?"

"The nurses are taking him now. Whoever thought of putting wheels on beds to help us move patients was a genius," the doctor laughed slightly. "I can take you to him."

Kurt nodded before he and the doctor headed down the corridor.

"Thank you, as well, for helping bring our Prince home."

"It's no problem," Kurt replied. "When Sebastian told me what he was doing I thought he was joking. He would have been insane to have tried and saved the Prince all by himself."

"Then we should all be very grateful that he ran into you," the doctor said as he stopped outside the open door leading into a ward. Sebastian was lying at the end, one of the nurses rearranging his blankets as he woke up.

"I'd better keep him company. When will he be allowed out?"

"After he's had some rest and something to eat. There's nothing to really keep him here but it sounds like you three went through quite an ordeal to get back to Dalton so it's best to be on the safe side."

Kurt nodded his understanding. "Thank you, doctor."

Sebastian seemed to grow more alert when Kurt sat down beside his bed. He was lying on his side but reached out for the elf and Kurt gave him his hand to hold.

"How are you feeling?" Kurt asked quietly as he watched the man.

"Like death warmed up," Sebastian croaked, his voice hoarse from the coughing. "Have you seen Nick?"

"Blaine went with Prince Nicholas. I'm sure he'll be fine," Kurt let his gaze move over Sebastian before he looked back to the lidded green eyes. "What did Hunter do to you? Did he make you sick?"

Sebastian shook his head meekly. "Hunter didn't make me sick. He made me _want _to be sick, but he didn't do this."

Kurt tilted his head and reached over to stroke Sebastian's hair. "I know what he did, Sebastian. He wasn't exactly subtle… You don't have to be ashamed. If you need to talk about it, I'm right here."

"I don't want to talk about it," Sebastian muttered as he closed his eyes and shook his head, squeezing Kurt's hand. "I just wanna see Nick… Need to see him…"

Kurt went to speak when he saw Blaine motioning to him from the other end of the room. "Uh, Sebastian, I will be right back. I'm just going to talk to Blaine, alright?"

Sebastian didn't say anything but he let go of Kurt's hand, the elf hurrying away. Blaine looked exasperated but quickly strode out of the ward when Kurt was at his side.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. But Nick isn't in a good way-"

"He'll be alright though, won't he? Please don't say he's dying, not after what Sebastian did to save him."

"He'll survive, Nick is strong but it's going to take time. They've barely gotten all of the mud and blood and dirt off him though, let alone started actually treating him."

"What does that mean though?"

"It means I need someone to keep Sebastian calm and distracted for a few more hours until Nick is alright."

"I'll do what I can. Does the King need to speak with him or anything?"

"Not yet, we'll wait until Nick's well enough before we do that."

Kurt nodded. "I'd better get back to Sebastian then."

"Yeah, that's fine," Blaine replied. "And thanks, for looking after him."

"No problem," Kurt said before he turned away. He let the blush creep onto his cheeks as he walked back to the ward. Sebastian had fallen asleep when he sat down and the elf shook his head. "And now I'm falling for your knight friend. Great. I never should have leapt down and helped you."

But try as he might, Kurt couldn't wipe the smile from his face.

.

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**A/N: And yay for a budding Klaine friendship :) I promise that things aren't super bad for Nick; he's going to be okay. But it's not over yet ;P I still have lots of fun to have with this story yet. But I'm going to bed now because I need to start sleeping like a normal person again. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day :) –Frankie xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

Rating: T

Characters: Sebastian, Kurt, Nick

Warnings: Implied homophobia

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 14:**

Sebastian didn't know how long he had been pacing for but he was sick of it. He was sick of waiting and sick of the excuses the guards kept feeding him. He needed to see Nick, to know that he was alive and well and safe. But King Benjamin was a selfish bastard who wasn't letting his son's best friend make sure he was alright.

"Sebastian, sit down. There's no point in wasting energy," Kurt said tiredly as he watched the man. "King Benjamin will let us in when he's ready."

"Two days! Two days, Kurt! That's how long I've been waiting for King Benjamin to let me in and I'm sick of waiting! I feel like I'm going insane _waiting_!"

"And pacing isn't going to slow down the onslaught of insanity so just sit down and try to relax."

Sebastian reluctantly complied, sinking to the floor beside the elf but he was restless and fidgety. It was only three minutes before he stood up and started pacing again. Kurt opened his mouth to try and console him again when the doors to Nick's private hospital room opened. King Benjamin and one of his guards stepped out as Kurt scrambled to his feet.

"How is he? Is he going to be alright?" Sebastian asked as he folded his arms across his chest and tried to contain his concern.

"Prince Nicholas will need a lot of rest and to be exceeding careful but he will heal," King Benjamin answered slowly. "He has multiple broken ribs and the lacerations in his back will take a long time to heal. He had not eaten in three or four days according to the nurse who spoke with him briefly last night when he woke up. Sleep is the best thing for him at the moment."

"C-Can I see him? Just for a few minutes?" Sebastian asked. "I just need to know that he's alright."

"I can assure you that he is, Sebastian. But my son needs to rest and I can't have you going in there and upsetting him." King Benjamin nodded to Sebastian and Kurt before he turned and began striding along the corridor.

Kurt watched him with angered confusion before he turned to Sebastian who had leaned back against the wall again. His jaw was clenched and he was staring at the ceiling but Kurt could see the gleam in his eyes and the quiver of his lip.

"Wait here," he murmured to Sebastian before he raced after King Benjamin. "Your highness! Wait, please, I need to talk to you."

King Benjamin seemed hesitant to turn and face the elf but he did. "What is it Master Elf?"

"I helped Sebastian rescue Ni- _Prince_ Nicholas and I can honestly say that keeping them apart is a bad thing."

"And why is that?"

"Sebastian and I were caught by King Hunter's men and brought before him. Sebastian and I were sure he would just have us killed but he agreed to make a deal for our freedom and the Prince's. I don't know the finite details of what happened but Sebastian sacrificed something to save your son. When Sebastian and I were making our way back from Springs, he was different. As if he had given a part of himself away. I don't know what Hunter did to him but I think "torture" would be a fair guess. And all I've seen since we arrived here is a man filled with desperation to make sure he fulfilled his task.

"Your highness, I beg you. It doesn't have to be long, three minutes would suffice. But Sebastian needs to see Prince Nicholas, just to make sure he's done his job."

The King watched Kurt with a steady gaze but nodded once before he headed back to his son's room. "My wife is sitting with him now. But no longer than five minutes, awake or not."

"Thank you, sir," Kurt replied before he hurried after the king.

Sebastian lit up when Kurt explained what had happened while the guard held the door open for them and they stepped into the dimly lit hospital room. Nick's bed was directly opposite the door and the prince lay on his back. Queen Eleanor sat in a chair beside him, holding his hand gingerly but she looked up to Sebastian and Kurt with a smile.

"Thank you for bringing him home," she murmured before she looked back down. "We were so worried."

Sebastian nodded numbly before he carefully stepped around the bed and fell to his knees beside it as he took Nick's other hand. He watched tearfully as Nick breathed before slowly, the prince began to stir and his eyes flickered open.

"Nicholas? Nick, can you hear me?" Queen Eleanor asked as she leaned over her son, stroking his hair.

"Mother?" Nick replied, his voice quiet. "Thought I was … with 'Bas."

Queen Eleanor shot a look of surprise to the boy on her son's other side before looking back down to Nick. "H-He's here, he's sitting on your other side…"

Sebastian swallowed before he looked down as Nick turned his head to peer up at him with tired eyes. He squeezed Sebastian's hand before the ghost of a smile moved across his face.

"You found me."

"I did," Sebastian murmured. "I will always find you."

"Hunter was creepy… I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Sebastian whispered, his voice breaking as tears welled in his eyes. "I was so scared, Nick."

"Don't be scared… Love you … so much." Nick's eyes drifted closed while Sebastian's widened in fear. Sebastian slowly turned to face the King and Queen who looked back with expressions of shock and anger.

"What did he just say?" King Benjamin growled.

"I-I'm so sorry… He wasn't ready to tell you… We've been – I mean – I'm so sorry." Sebastian had pushed himself to his feet and had backed away to stand with Kurt.

"I let you take Nick to parties and get him drunk and let him have life experiences but it is time to grow up, Sebastian," King Benjamin said levelly. "Get out and don't come back. I don't care what you did to get my son home, it's over now."

Sebastian went to protest but Kurt gripped his arm tightly and pulled him from the room. When the door was shut firmly behind them, Kurt let go of Sebastian and watched as the man broke down. Tears streamed down his face and he pounded his fist against the wall of the corridor before he fell to the ground and curled in on himself as he cried.

Kurt simply sat down beside him, pulling Sebastian against his side and rubbing his back as he mourned. Without Nick, Sebastian had nothing. And Kurt was beginning to feel that perhaps Hunter hadn't been such a bad king after all.


	15. Chapter 15

Rating: T

Characters: Blaine, Kurt, Sebastian, Jeff

Warnings: Medical ickyness

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 15:**

Blaine had found Kurt and Sebastian huddled in the hallway and had brought them back to his apartment. Sebastian was curled up in bed while Kurt and Blaine sat at the table and Kurt explained what had happened with King Benjamin.

"So you and Sebastian went to see Nick and the Prince woke up and told Seb he loved him in front of his parents? And King Benjamin just told him to get out and that he could never see Nick again?" Blaine asked indignantly.

"I wanted to hit him but I knew I had to get Sebastian out of there before he got himself arrested," Kurt murmured as he sipped at the tea Blaine had made.

"Again."

"Again?"

"He was arrested when the knights found out about him being disowned. Nick had it erased from his record when he was abused by those guards though," Blaine explained before he spared a glance in Sebastian's direction. "He didn't deserve to lose Nick too."

"He won't lose Nick, I'll make sure of it," Kurt whispered.

They lapsed into silence but Kurt could feel Blaine's gaze upon him. Kurt was intrigued by this man's intense urge to help his friends even though he would have to go up against a royal family. He admired his courage.

"So why did you come back with Sebastian to Dalton? I mean, obviously he would have had a hard time getting back here alone but why have you stayed?" Blaine asked as he filled his teacup again.

"Sebastian still needs my help," Kurt answered with a shrug. He reached for the teapot, his fingers brushing over Blaine's before he jerked his hand back. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Blaine said with a nervous laugh. "But uh, yeah, yeah I guess Sebastian does still need some help."

"Is there any way we could convince King Benjamin to let them at least remain friends? I understand why he doesn't want them in a relationship but can't he see that Sebastian is obviously upset about this? The man almost broke his hand he was that frustrated."

"The thing about King Benjamin is that he only sees what he wants to," Blaine said as he leaned forward. "When he looks at Nick, he sees his oldest son. Sure there are three other princes but Nick is the one who will get the throne. He sees a future king. Anything that tampers with that view of his son has to go."

"But what does that mean for Sebastian?"

"It means that Sebastian has been very lucky and should be thankful King Benjamin hasn't vowed to kill him for threatening his bloodline."

Kurt shook his head. "That's despicable… What will happen if Nick wakes up one day and decides Sebastian is more important than his birth right? What will Benjamin do then?"

"Probably kill them," Blaine said flatly. There was a rustle and a groan before Sebastian padded out from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Did you sleep well?" Kurt asked quietly. Sebastian was standing at the end of the table, swaying slightly on his feet.

"Sleep won't fix anything," Sebastian murmured. "Is there any tea left?"

"A little, I'll go and get you a cup," Blaine replied as he got to his feet and disappeared into the kitchen. Sebastian took his place at the table and began fiddling with the end of the bandage that was covering the cut Hunter had given him.

"Has that healed at all yet?" Kurt asked as he sipped what was left of his tea.

"Haven't looked," Sebastian answered as his fingers stilled.

Kurt sighed and reached across the table to carefully undo the bandage. He could feel tension radiating from Sebastian and wished there was something he could do but when the wound was revealed, his old worries were replaced with new ones.

"This hasn't even scabbed over," Kurt murmured as he leaned forward. Holding Sebastian's wrist with both hands, Kurt carefully stretched the skin before letting it snap back. It didn't bleed, it didn't seem to cause Sebastian any pain – it was just _there_.

"What is it?" Blaine asked as he set a cup on the table and filled it with tea for Sebastian.

"This hasn't healed – at all. It looks the same as it had the day it happened," Kurt looked to Sebastian's face as he pressed down on the edge of the wound. "Does that hurt?"

"No," Sebastian flicked his glance between his friends and his arm. "No, it doesn't. What does that mean? Why doesn't it hurt?"

"You don't feel sick or anything?" Blaine asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"No. Should I?"

"Of course not," Kurt said calmly. "Just relax. I think I might know what this is. But Sebastian, you need to tell us exactly what Hunter did to you."

Sebastian shook his head. "I can't, I can't…"

"Seb, this could be really important. Was there anything weird? Things you wouldn't have expected him to do?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian looked between them with wide eyes before he looked back down at the table. "He was fascinated by the scars on my back; he said he couldn't believe someone would do that to me." Sebastian swallowed harshly as he tried to think. "And then when he took the three drops of blood, he kissed my wrist."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Did it stop bleeding when he did that?"

"I think so," Sebastian said as he looked between his friends once more. "Why? What do you think he did to me?"

Kurt finally let go of Sebastian's arm. "I remember reading about an Old Magic curse – I don't know what it was for but it required a lot of strange ingredients, including three drops of a man's blood. And you had to kiss the wound you made."

"Do you know what kind of Old Magic it was?" Blaine asked. "I have friends in the library; they might be able to find something out for us."

"It was bad – all Old Magic was. But whatever spell it is Hunter is trying to cast, it's not taking effect yet so we have time," Kurt answered as he got to his feet. "We should go to the library and start looking for information."

Blaine nodded his agreement but when they all turned to leave, the front door burst open. It was Jeff and the knight was wearing a terrified expression.

"What is it?" Blaine asked sharply.

"Armies, on the edge of the forest. They're carrying King Hunter's flags. King Benjamin's ordered every man to fight but we need you at the front," Jeff explained quickly.

"I will be there as soon as I can. Has the fighting started yet?"

"No, they've stopped, but Benjamin wants us to ride out and meet them."

"He's going to kill his entire army!" Kurt yelled.

"Which is precisely why we have to stop him."

.

.

**A/N: And the battle commences…**


	16. Chapter 16

Rating: M

Characters: Sebastian, Kurt, Hunter, Blaine, Nick

Warnings: Violence, blood, a little gore/horror

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

.

**CHAPTER 16:**

Sebastian didn't like being part of a battle. He had lost track of Kurt and Blaine hours ago, days ago. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they had advanced on King Hunter's army. The magicians kept letting off clouds of smoke that blocked out the sky and many of the soldiers had lost track of the days.

The battle had moved further into the forest making it easier for soldiers to hide. On the contrary, Sebastian had hated the move because it meant that no one had the upper hand. The fight was no centralised and the strategy was non-existent. But he made his way through the trees as best as he could and tried not to get into too many close fights.

Sebastian was perched in a tree trying to get some rest when he smelt smoke. Climbing down, he saw the flames moving through the forest and could hear the magicians chanting on the other side. Soldiers from Dalton were running through the trees but Sebastian found himself frozen in place until someone grabbed his arm and pulled him in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing, you stupid man!"

"K-Kurt? You're still alive!"

"Not for much longer if you don't hurry up!"

The elf pulled Sebastian along behind him until they came to a small valley. Kurt pulled Sebastian straight into the stream that flowed through the valley.

"Why are we standing in a stream?" Sebastian gasped.

"Because fire and water don't mix," Kurt answered quickly as he glanced around. "Stay as still as you can and if you hear anything, signal. _Silently_."

Sebastian nodded before he and Kurt moved to stand back-to-back in the middle of the stream, watching for adversaries.

It wasn't long until someone else ran down into the stream. Kurt and Sebastian raised their weapons and turned towards the dark figure. The fire had stopped at the top of the valley and the stranger didn't seem to notice them. Until Sebastian gasped softly. The other man advanced on them with a yell and a raised sword.

Kurt jabbed forward with his sword while Sebastian swung for the man's neck. A fireball erupted from the man's hand but he threw it into the air to provide light. Sebastian squinted as his pupils constricted painfully before he rushed forward for another sharp stab. He met only air as the man dodged his blade before the blonde hair and sharp features registered. Sebastian knew this man.

"H-Hunter!" he gasped. King Hunter didn't recognise him though, simply rushing forward again to meet his enemy. Kurt shoved Sebastian out of the way and blocked Hunter's sword but Sebastian leapt back into the fray, trying to get in Hunter's line of sight.

Kurt dove in once more but Hunter released a bolt of magic that threw the elf back up the valley. Sebastian felt the panic rise within him but he lunged forward with a yell. He stabbed and swung the sword but Hunter blocked an attack and found himself staring into Sebastian's eyes.

"I know you," Hunter whispered.

"You promised you wouldn't do this," Sebastian said through clenched teeth. "You promised you wouldn't threaten Dalton."

"I'm not threatening Dalton, I'm attacking it," Hunter answered with a smirk before he let his sword fall. He reached out and grabbed the collar of Sebastian's shirt and kissed him firmly on the mouth. There was a gust of wind as Sebastian wrestled himself free. He could hear Kurt yelling and heavy footsteps on the ground but Sebastian's focus was drawn to the blood running between his fingers. He pulled up his sleeve to find the cut in his arm was bleeding profusely.

"You'd better get that looked at, Sebastian," Hunter suggested snidely. "You should have stayed with me."

Sebastian was already feeling dizzy and found himself falling to his knees, the water he knelt in cold. He heard Hunter's cruel laugh and saw a flash of light before the king and the fireball disappeared. Sebastian wanted to vomit but he felt hands on him, pulling him out of the stream. He heard material tearing before someone grabbed his arm and wound something tightly around his arm.

"Get up, Sebastian; we have to get you out of here. You've gotta get up!"

"Kurt…"

Sebastian felt himself being pulled to his feet and something cold was pressed into his hand. Sword. Fighting. _You're in a battle_. He screwed up his eyes and coughed before he looked to Kurt who was pulling him up the slope of the valley. There was no more fire, only smoke and a strange green light.

"Keep moving, Sebastian. Keep moving and we'll get you back to Dalton."

Kurt kept talking to him but Sebastian was struggling to focus. They reached the crest of the hill and Kurt started running through the trees of the forest. Sebastian didn't know how he was keeping up but his feet kept moving. The trees seemed endless until they finally broke through and Kurt came to an abrupt halt, reaching around to stop Sebastian before he fell over.

Everything was bathed in a ghostly green light and Sebastian's eyes focused long enough for him to see the eerie soldiers standing before them. They glowed green and appeared as rotting corpses. Five or six of them had stopped but their comrades glided past them. Sebastian tightened the grip he had on his sword and raised it before stepping forward and plunging it straight through the stomach of one of the undead soldiers.

The ghost threw its head back in what Sebastian discerned was laughter before he felt a sharp pain in his own stomach. A ripping sensation. Blood blooming across his stomach. Sebastian looked to the ghost as his body went slack and he dropped to his knees. The pain was intoxicating and his sword fell from his grip before he collapsed on the ground. He was vaguely aware of Kurt screaming his name before the darkness swallowed him.

.

.

Nick was stiff but he had to keep going. The wounded soldiers kept pouring through the hospital doors and they were running out of everything. Rooms, beds, nurses, doctors, bandages, medicine. Many men had already died and they didn't even have enough people to carry them away. He was hurrying back to the main ward when he heard his name being called.

Turning around, Nick's eyes grew wide in horror to find Blaine and Kurt rushing towards him with an unconscious Sebastian between them.

"What happened?" Nick demanded as Kurt and Blaine drew level with him.

"Hunter has an undead army. When you try to wound them, whatever you do to them is done to you," Blaine answered. "The message is being spread through the army but there's still going to be casualties."

"And Sebastian?"

"Idiot stabbed one of them in the gut. I pretended to be dead when I realised and the ghosts left. Blaine found me trying to get Sebastian back here," Kurt explained. "Hunter kissed him and that seemed to activate the spell. His arm's been bleeding."

"How much?"

"Like a river after a rainstorm," Kurt said as they heaved Sebastian into one of the private rooms. Blaine and the elf laid Sebastian on the bed before Kurt looked around the room, realising it was the _royal _hospital room. "Your father won't be pleased about this."

"Screw King Benjamin, we have to save Seb," Blaine said quickly. "I'll go find a doctor."

Nick was hovering over his lover, checking the wounds in his arm and stomach. "Kurt, come and keep the pressure on his stomach. We have to try and stop this bleeding…"

Kurt obliged, rolling up his sleeves before he pressed his hands over the wound and pushed down as hard as he could. He watched as Nick rebound the wound in Sebastian's wrist before brushing Sebastian's hair back from his forehead.

"You said King Hunter kissed him? Why did he do that?"

"Sebastian didn't know it at the time but when he gave Hunter three drops of his blood as part of the bargain to save you, he was letting the rat cast a spell using him as a vessel," Kurt murmured. "He kissed Sebastian while we were fighting him and it must have activated the spell."

Nick nodded tersely before he turned to Kurt. "I need you to go back out to the battle with Blaine when he comes back. You two have to find Hunter and kill him. For Sebastian."

"I'll try my best, sir," Kurt murmured before doctors and nurses rushed into the room, shoving him out of the way. He wiped his bloody hands on his trousers before he led Blaine out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Blaine asked as they hurried from the hospital.

"We're going to kill a king."

.

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**A/N: Things are gonna tumble out pretty quickly from here on out. It might be finished tonight or tomorrow but I hope you're excited because it's gonna be a hell of a ride :p –Frankie xoxo**


	17. Chapter 17

Rating: M

Characters: Kurt, Blaine, Hunter

Warning: Sexual references, coarse language, blood, violence

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 17:**

Kurt and Blaine had no idea where to find Hunter. They suspected he would be hiding in the forest but there was no way to navigate through the trees without facing the undead army. The only way to get to Hunter would be to attack him from behind but that would require circumnavigating the forest and that wasn't an option they were willing to take.

"Can the ghosts climb the trees?" Kurt asked out of the blue, looking to Blaine.

"I'm not sure, I haven't really seen them. Why?"

"I might be able to carry you through the trees. I can carry you on my back. It'd be faster as long as you stayed quiet."

Blaine ran his fingers through his unruly dark curls but nodded. "Let's do it. It's the only option we've got that won't take all night and most of tomorrow."

They carefully made their way down to the edge of the forest. Blaine hopped up onto Kurt's back, wrapping his arms tightly around the elf's neck and winding his legs around Kurt's waist.

"This is awkward."

"Yeah, usually you'd buy me dinner first," Kurt murmured. "But there's always after we've killed Hunter."

Kurt heard Blaine laugh softly before he carefully climbed up the closest tree. He couldn't climb as high as he usually would with the extra weight but he still towered high above the undead soldiers who milled around aimlessly. He carefully began hopping from tree to tree, trying to make his way across the forest.

They reached the break in the forest at the valley, Blaine jumping to the ground before he helped Kurt down. The elf blushed before they made their way across the valley to the other part of the forest.

"How are we going to go about killing Hunter exactly?" Blaine asked as they carefully crawled to the crest of the other hill.

"One of us could distract him while the other sneaks up behind him and kills him? Then the undead army should disappear and hopefully the wounded soldiers will be healed."

"Is that really how Old Magic spells work?"

"I have no idea," Kurt shook his head as he reached the edge of the other forest. "But we have to try."

Blaine nodded before he looked through the trees. "I can't see anything. Can you?"

"I think I hear voices. The undead soldiers can't talk. The one that Sebastian tried to stab laughed but no sound came out." Kurt carefully stepped into the trees, moving forward a few feet before gesturing for Blaine to follow.

The pair continued through the forest that way until they came to a clearing. They hid behind two of the larger trees and watched as Hunter conversed with some of his living soldiers.

"The vessel has been taken back to Dalton but I need him here. The undead army is wandering around not doing anything. We can't give Dalton's knights and soldiers the chance to regroup or figure out how to stop the curse. The vessel was in love with one of Benjamin's brats – if they get too close, they might break the spell and we can't afford for that to happen."

Kurt looked to Blaine with wide eyes. They had left Nick with Sebastian. Nick could break the spell at any moment. If only they knew what Nick had to do.

"I don't care how many men it takes, find the vessel and bring him to me. _Alive_."

The men nodded before they headed off in a different direction. Hunter was alone then and Blaine found himself stepping forward into the clearing that was lit with fireballs suspended in mid-air.

"Well I must say, Dalton's King is an absolute idiot but you people do produce some beauties," Hunter laughed softly. "And who might you be?"

"You tortured Sebastian and Prince Nicholas," Blaine said flatly. He hoped Kurt had caught on and was making his way around to sneak up on Hunter from behind.

"_Another _one of you fighting that battle_?_" Hunter asked incredulously before he laughed again, louder this time. "And what's all this talk about me "torturing" Sebastian? From the sounds he was making, I doubt he'd call it torture."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine asked as he narrowed his eyes. His hand was at the hilt of his sword but he didn't draw it.

Hunter strode forward with a smirk on his face. "Your little friend Sebastian isn't the little saint everyone seems to think he is. He's a beautiful little whore with the tightest body I've had the pleasure of being wrapped up in for a long time. Screwing him was the best decision I've made in a long time."

"You'd better stop talking about him that way…" Blaine knew the threat was weak but he had to keep the king's attention.

"Would you rather me tell you about how he's helped me win over a country? He made the perfect vessel. So gullible, so desperate to help his little Prince. It was so easy to cut him and curse the wound. All I had to do once he was gone, was wait for him to get home. Two more days and then I could advance on Dalton, find the little bastard in the battle and the city was mine."

"How did you know Sebastian would be at the battle? How did you know he'd find you?" Blaine asked, trying not to make it obvious that he was watching Kurt. The elf had dropped down from the trees and had his sword drawn and ready to plunge through Hunter's back.

"I didn't need to know about Sebastian. I just needed to know King Benjamin. And King Benjamin always sends out every man to fight his battles for him. It was simply a matter of searching and waiting."

"What if someone had broken the spell before you got here? What if Nick had done something to cure him?"

"I can assure you, there will never be any going back for Sebastian after tonight. There's no cure for what my army has done to him and for that I am very, very grateful because there is nothing more annoying than a vessel that just won't die."

"You know, I've heard the same thing about kings," Kurt said before he plunged his sword straight through Hunter's heart before stepping away.

Hunter merely rolled his eyes. "Oh no. I have been stabbed. I have so many regrets. I'm dead," he said dryly, sarcasm thick in his tone. "Did you really think stabbing me through the heart was enough to kill me? I have an undead army."

Blaine watched fearfully as Hunter advanced on him, his hands glowing with magic but he stopped as suddenly as he had started. He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest and as Blaine followed his gaze, he realised the blade was covered in blood. Hunter swayed on his feet before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Kurt stepped forward and carefully pulled the sword from the man's chest before looking to Blaine.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes… Is he dead?"

"I would presume yes," Kurt answered before he spared a glance up at the sky. It was growing lighter as the sun rose. "We need to get back to the castle. Hunter's men might still be after Sebastian."

Blaine nodded surely before he grabbed Kurt's hand and they began making their way back to the castle.

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**A/N: Yay for epic friends and budding relationships :D But what made Hunter die? I'm not gonna post anything more tonight because I really need to sleep (I know I keep saying that but I'm being serious tonight) but I promise to bring you happy things for the last two (maybe three) chapters. I hope you're having a wonderful day –Frankie xoxo**


	18. Chapter 18

Rating: T

Characters: Nick, Sebastian, Blaine, Kurt

Warnings: Implied homophobia

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable names used in this fic.

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**CHAPTER 18:**

Nick rested his forehead against Sebastian's as tears welled in his eyes. They hadn't been able to stop the bleeding but Nick had stayed with him. He couldn't leave him, no matter what his father tried to say. He loved Sebastian more than life itself and he would be damned before he left the man's side. His breaths were shallow and slow, his pulse was weak, but Sebastian would not die alone.

"I love you so much, Sebastian," Nick whispered before he pulled away. He wiped at his eyes and took a few deep breaths before the doors burst open behind him. He turned to find his father, a wild look in the king's eyes.

"The undead army disappeared! All the men are healing by themselves!" King Benjamin explained.

Nick frowned before he turned back to Sebastian. He pulled back the sheets and the bandages that had been wound loosely around the man's stomach. Nick's eyes widened to find the wound had healed, the skin totally unblemished. He checked Sebastian's arm to find that the wound there had healed as well.

"Sebastian? Sebastian, can you hear me?!" Nick called before leaning down to kiss Sebastian again. "Come on, wake up. Wake up, open your eyes."

"What the hell are you doing, Nick?!" Kind Benjamin demanded.

"He has to wake up! He has to wake up!" Nick chanted as he held Sebastian's face in his hands, watching for any sign that Sebastian was stirring.

"Get away from him, Nicholas! He's poison! He won't do anything but hurt you and use you!"

Nick turned to his father to find Benjamin had raised a dagger. Nick was about to scream for help when Kurt and Blaine rushed into the room.

"Your highness, drop the dagger. Step away," Blaine said quickly as he wedged himself between the king and his son.

"That demon needs to be dealt with!" King Benjamin spat.

"Sebastian has done no wrong. Now step away."

"Why should I listen to you? Who's going to stop me?"

"We will," Kurt said as he and Blaine raised their swords.

"And so will I," Nick said levelly, glaring at his father.

"Nicholas…" King Benjamin slowly lowered the dagger but didn't let go of it. "Are you really going to betray me for some boy?"

"He's not just some boy," Nick said as he shook his head. "He's the bravest man I've ever met. He has fought for our kingdom and our family – the least you could do is admit that."

"He lied to get into the Dalton Knights! He lied to get closer to you!" King Benjamin yelled.

"He did, but he also did it so that he could protect me. He lied to join the Dalton Knights so that he could look after himself when his family abandoned him. You knew he was sick, you knew he was homeless, and you did nothing," Nick shook his head. "So I'm doing something about it. Because he deserves to be rewarded for what he's done for us."

"Nicholas… I'm your _father_," King Benjamin murmured.

"That might be so but from this day forward, I am no longer your son." Nick turned back to Sebastian and watched with a smile as his eyes fluttered open.

The world grew silent around Nick as he sat with Sebastian, holding his hand and stroking his hair as he slowly came to. He was aware of Blaine and Kurt forcing his father out of the room but he didn't care. Sebastian was alive, they were both safe, and Nick couldn't have been happier.

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"So explain to me again how you guys stopped the undead army," Sebastian said as Nick helped him into clean clothes. He was perfectly healthy according to the doctors but his body was stiff and he moved slowly.

"Kurt and Blaine killed Hunter just as I kissed you goodbye. The power of true love broke the spell Hunter had used you to cast," Nick answered. "But I'm glad it wasn't goodbye."

Sebastian pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm glad it wasn't goodbye, too."

Nick laughed softly before he and Sebastian walked from the hospital room, arms wound around each other's waists.

"And of course my father came to try and stop me from staying with you but the day was rescued by Kurt and Blaine. I think those two will go down in history – the first people to openly defy a king of Dalton," Nick laughed.

"Are you sure you want to leave though, Nick? We don't have to…"

Nick stopped and looked up into Sebastian's green eyes. "If we don't leave, King Benjamin will just keep trying to tear us apart and trying to lure me back to him. But I don't want to be a Prince of Dalton if it means I can't be with the person I love most."

Sebastian smiled tearfully as Nick leaned up to kiss him.

"Besides," Nick began when he pulled away. "Kurt and Blaine committed treason and we can't just leave them to their own devices. Besides, it'll be fun to just travel for a while. I've never had that chance."

"You're incredible, Nick," Sebastian murmured.

"And so are you – my disowned prince of Dalton."

Sebastian laughed before they continued walking. They met Kurt and Blaine in the stables where they found their horses, mounted up and rode out of Dalton.

They had no family, no home and no money. They had nothing but the friends they rode away with. But none of them minded because they were happy. And in the end, that was all any of them could ask for.

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**A/N: And there we have it. This wasn't originally how it was going to end but I like it more this way. I hope you've enjoyed "The Disowned Prince of Dalton" – I've certainly had a lot of fun writing it. I'm not sure what's up for me next, there's nothing milling about in my head at the moment. Though I would like to write something about space exploration or astronauts… We'll see :p Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and favouriting and everything else. You really have no idea how much it warms my heart to know that people care about what I write. I hope you're having a wonderful day wherever you are and thanks for sticking this out with me :) –Frankie xoxo**


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